


Curse of The Frozen Maiden

by Curtissemily_38



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Good Parent Kukui-hakase | Professor Kukui
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:00:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 35,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25562488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Curtissemily_38/pseuds/Curtissemily_38
Summary: Alola has a rich history of vibrant stories and colorful tales, most full of merriment and joy. However, as a dark remainder of Alola's past is brought back into the light, our heroes will have to face a frozen wasteland and icy ticking time bomb in order to save everyone.
Relationships: Kukui-hakase | Professor Kukui & Satoshi | Ash Ketchum
Comments: 58
Kudos: 168





	1. The Curse Awakens

**Author's Note:**

> I was a little bummed that we never got an Alolan pokemon movie, so I made my own. Is this completely canon compliant? I doubt it. Is this incredibly self indulgent? Absolutely. It's a very father Kukui centered fic, because he's an amazing dad and deserves all the praise. I plan on this being 5 chapters, posting every Monday night. Somebody hunt me down if it's 11:59 pm next Monday and I haven't posted because I intend on sticking to this schedule. (P.S. yes the first chapter is bad, yes it only gets worse <3 )

“300 years ago, a beautiful young woman and her fiancé travelled to Mt. Lanakila to receive the Alolan guardians’ blessings for their marriage. It was told that those with a pure heart would have the guardians’ light cast upon them and be granted eternal youth. The couple, so enchanted with love, desired the eternal youth to be able to live together forever.

“However, the young man had been deceitful. He had tricked the girl into loving him so he could receive the guardians’ blessings. But the guardians were not fooled and did not grant them eternal life.

“When the light failed to shine upon the pair, the man became enraged, blaming her impurity for their failure. He abandoned her on the mountain. The girl became trapped at the peak as a terrible blizzard blew in. With no help coming and no way to escape, she perished.

“However, her soul was not at peace. Consumed with grief and being unable to pass on, her soul melded with an icicle at the very peak. As her grief turned to rage, the icicle drew power from the icy blizzard and took the form of a Pokémon.

“Determined to seek revenge on the man who betrayed her, the Pokémon created a wicked ice storm that raged across all four islands. Within one night, Alola was covered in a sheet of ice, causing the crops to wither away. The people and Pokémon became trapped in an icy wasteland, with no hope for recovery.

“The island guardians, upon sensing the impending danger to Alola, joined forces to seal the Pokémon in the heart of the mountain. But the damage to the land seemed irreversible, and they were powerless to restore the region.

“The Guardian Pokémon, in a plea of desperation, offered a part of themselves to Necrozma in exchange for the land to be revitalized. The Blinding One spread its light across Alola once more, bringing life back to the islands. The people celebrated the guardians with a feast, offering their harvest as a thanks. From that day forward, Alola has known nothing but peace.

“But… some say that that Pokémon still rests on Mt. Lanakila, waiting to be freed from its icy tomb. And the woman’s soul will not rest until she has captured the heart of a young man to replace her own broken heart.”

Professor Kukui flipped the book closed and looked up to his class. They’d been listening so intently and were enthralled with the tale. Aside from battle lessons, his classes that focused on Pokémon lore and legends seemed to be the most popular with the kids.

“All right, any questions?”

All the kids shot their hands up, but Lillie had done it with the most grace, so he nodded to her as a go-head.

“Did that _really_ happen, Professor?” Her quiet little voice was filled with more skepticism than Kukui thought possible.

He offered a small laugh and rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, as with all legends, there’s usually a bit of truth and a bit of creative… ‘story-telling’,” He figured “story-telling” was a better term to use with the children than “lying”.

“Which parts _are_ true?” Sophocles shouted out.

Kukui gave him a stern look. “Remember to raise your hand, Sophocles.” That earned him a sheepish glance from the boy. “Well, I don’t know for sure, but I’d imagine a coupe might really have gone to the peak of the mountain and ended up caught in a blizzard. I doubt they went there truly to seek out the blessing, but I suppose it’s possible. I would say it is a bit of a stretch that a woman’s soul and an icicle turned into a Pokémon.”

“A terrible ice storm did actually reign over Alola during that time. It’s uncertain whether just a turn of the weather or the interference of a Pokémon actually saved the crops, though.”

That seemed to give the kids something to chew on for a few moments.

“Professor,” Ash had his hand raised and was waiting for permission to speak, hoping to avoid the same embarrassment of his classmate. When he got an encouraging nod, he continued, “what’s the Pokémon in the story?”

Kukui had half a breath drawn in before Rotom interrupted. “I can answer that-roto!” It pulled a pokedex entry up on its screen. “Froslass: The Snow Land Pokémon and an evolved form of Snorunt. When it finds humans or Pokémon it likes, it freezes them and takes them to its chilly den, where they become decorations.”

Rotom spun around, suddenly sporting his Alolan Detective Laki wig, and struck a pose. “Based on the information given and several pokedex entries, this would be the Pokémon in the story!”

The class applauded Rotom’s detective skills.

“Froslass is the correct Pokémon.” Kukui gave the pokedex a half-hearted glare. “Y’know Rotom, I should make _you_ raise your hand too.” That earned him a laugh. “This brings us to the main part of our lesson for today: The Alola Harvest Festival!”

A chorus of “oohs” and “ahhs” erupted.

“A festival? Oh boy!” Mallow cheered. “What does ‘harvest’ mean, though?”

“That’s when we gather all the crops for the season! It’s almost harvest time on my ranch!” Kiawe helpfully supplied.

Lana looked at them curiously. “Does fishing count as a harvest?”

Lillie offered her a sympathetic smile. “I really don’t think so.”

“I bet Alola’s festivals are so much fun!” Ash chimed in, not one to be left out of the conversation.

Kukui put his hands up to try to regain the attention of his class before all control was lost. “Okay okay!” ‘ _I probably shouldn’t have led with festival’-_ “Kiawe was right when he said it dealt with bringing in all the crops. Alola’s climate allows for great farming year-round, but there’s one time of year we celebrate the land. Can anyone tell me why?”

Lana was the only one to raise her hand. “Does it have to do with the story you told us?”

“That’s right! We hold the festival at the end of summer because that’s when the crops were saved by Necrozma. So we hold a huge celebration and offer some of the harvest to Necrozma and the guardians as a show of gratitude. We invite guests from all over the world to come witness the fruits the vibrant Alolan soil and we hold all sorts of Pokémon battles and other competitions!”

“So cool! Can we go to the festival?” Ash shouted. Next to him, Pikachu sat up eagerly, interest piqued at the mention of battles.

“Of course!” Kukui knew the boy would be excited about it. He sported a mischievous grin, ready to reveal the most exciting bit of information. “Now that you know the legend behind the celebration, you’re ready to help with preparations for next week!”

Sophocles shot up from his seat. “The festival’s next week?”

“You bet! And now that you’re all old enough to participate, I’ve got special jobs for each and every one of ya’!”

The kids leaned forward on their desks, eyes gleaming with excitement and anticipation. Kukui loved the unbridled enthusiasm that kids had a tendency to put forth. It always made him feel just a bit younger too.

“The people of Alola gather a special offering specific to each island for the festival.” Kukui pulled down a map from the front of the room and pointed towards Melemele Island. “Stone from deep inside Ten Carat Hill-“ he moved to Akala Island- “Charcoal from the brim of Wela Volcano-“ pointing to Poni Island- “Sand from the bottom of Poni Canyon-“ finally he landed on Ula’ula Island- “and an icicle from the peak of Mt. Lanakila!” He gave a thoughtful pause before adding, “No need to worry, there aren’t any possessed icicles to worry about on the mountain.”

Half the class laughed and the other half sighed in mock-relief. Komala began ringing the end of the day bell, causing Kukui to swear under his breath. He’d gotten too caught up in the excitement and lost track of time.

“Before you all go I want to give you your assignments! We’ll do prep work tomorrow and head out to get our offerings first thing next week.”

The kids gathered their bags and Pokémon and waited semi-patiently at their desks for Kukui to hand out assignments. He stopped in front of Sophocles and Mallow first.

“Sophocles, Mallow, how does a trip to Poni Island sound?” The two of them high-fived and nodded. “Great! Hapu will take you there and help you get what you need.”

Next, he went to Kiawe. “I _could_ have Ash go to Akala…” Kukui teased. When he received the most heart-broken look from Kiawe, he laughed. “But I supposed I’ll have Kiawe head up the volcano. Sound good?”

“There’s no one better for the job!” Kiawe saluted, flames of passion burning around him.

Kukui then went in front of Lana, Ash, and Lillie. “Lana, would you like to come with me to Ula’ula?”

Before Lana could answer, Lillie raised her hand. “Actually, Professor, could I possibly go to Mt. Lanakila? I’d like to take Snowy up there again.” She turned to Lana and gave her a sheepish look. “Of course if you don’t mind, Lana!”

Lana smiled in return. “I’m fine with that. The professor and I can go to Ten Carat Hill instead!” Suddenly, a dark look crossed over her face, and you could tell she was planning on scaring the daylights out of the man while in the cave. Kukui started sweating nervously at the thought. He slowly started to slink away from the short girl.

Ash reached over to Vulpix and pet its head. “Then I’ll go with Lillie and Snowy!” He turned to his partner, “won’t the mountain be fun, Pikachu?”

“Pika!” Pikachu jumped on his shoulder and rubbed against his cheek.

Kukui, having successfully distanced himself from Lana and her creepy aura, crossed his arms and gave Ash and Lillie a thoughtful look. “The mountain’s kinda dangerous without an adult. I’d planned on being one of the duo to head up there…”

Ash slapped on his best pair of puppy dog eyes and got right into the professor’s personal space, Pikachu mimicking his expression. “Pleeeeeeease, Professor! I promise we’ll be careful! And I’ll take extra good care of Lillie and Snowy!” Kukui didn’t show signs of yielding, so Ash increased the stakes. “I’ll even do your laundry for a whole month!”

Kukui had a brief moment for the horrific flashbacks of the last time Ash did laundry to cross his mind before he finally admitted defeat. “Ash, I’ll let you go up there with Lillie if you promise to _never_ do my laundry again.”

Ash and Pikachu jumped in excitement, “All right!”

…

A few days following, Ash and his Pokémon were playing along the beach as the sun began to set and the tide started to come in. Not that it wasn’t always tropical in Alola, but since it was nearing the peak of summer, the weather was extra nice and the days were especially long. A pleasant salt-water breeze drifted up to the Professor’s house as he watched the boy and his Pokémon try to befriend a Pyukumuku that had washed ashore.

Kukui laughed as the poor thing waved its fist at them, obviously not in the mood to make friends. “Ash!” He called out. When he was certain he had his attention, “throw it back in the water and head on up! It’s getting late.”

Ash didn’t offer much resistance, instead dutifully chucking the Pyukumuku into the sea and guiding his companions back up to the house. He started to step through the door when Kukui stopped him.

“Shake.” Ash gave him a confused look. In response, Kukui took his hand and rubbed it all over the kid’s hair, causing sand to fly everywhere. “You look like a Sandyghast and I just swept.”

Ash laughed and leaned away to brush all the sand off of him. His Pokémon followed suit, calmly for the most part. Except Lycanroc, who violently shook its body, effectively re-covering Ash in sand. “Hey! I just cleaned off!” He teasingly scolded.

Kukui smiled at their antics and lead them all in while Ash told him about the Pyukumuku. “Did you see it, Professor? It was so cool! That thing in its mouth is amazing! What’s it for? And Rotom told me that some people are paid to throw them back in the water! Is that really true? Who would pay someone to throw a Pokémon?”

Kukui laughed, getting caught up in Ash’s excitement. The kid sure did have a lot of questions, but it was fun having someone around that was just plain old curious about the world. “Why don’t you go get ready for bed, and when you’re done I’ll answer all the questions about Pyukumuku you can think of. Deal?”

“Deal!” Ash raced over to the loft, climbing the ladder like a Mankey. Rustling sounds, and a distinct _crash_ \- Kukui didn’t even want to know the source - echoed throughout the house as the kid changed into his pajamas. He’d barely had time to kick off his shoes and sit down before Ash was sliding back down from the loft, racing off to the bathroom to brush his teeth. Within minutes, Ash was sitting in front of him on the couch, legs crossed and eyes gleaming in anticipation. He sucked in a breath, ready to rattle off probably a hundred questions about Pyukumuku, when Kukui cut him off.

“ _Before_ we get stuck on the Pyukumuku train, I need to talk to you about tomorrow,” Kukui watched Ash deflate like a balloon and suppressed his own groan, “and I _really_ need you to listen. M’kay?”

Ash, sensing the serious tone, nodded and sat up straight, giving the professor his full attention.

Kukui, however, was suddenly struck with a sense of doubt. How did he properly convey to this bright-eyed and optimistic child that the world wasn’t always happy and kind? That sometimes the world was dangerous and unjust? Maybe he was thinking about this excursion too deeply. Maybe there wasn’t anything to worry about at all.

Maybe Ash already knew that all too well…

But this kid- _his kid-_ was too important not to take any and all precautions.

“Now, I want you to promise me you’ll be careful tomorrow.” Ash gave him an offended look and Kukui raised an eyebrow in response. “Don’t you even tell me you’re always careful. You’ve lived with me long enough that I _know_ you’re a reckless little punk.

“ _But._ Tomorrow I want you to be especially careful on that mountain. The weather up there can be pretty unpredictable. And not all of the Pokémon are friendly. If the weather starts to turn sour or you think a Pokémon might not be interested in you two trespassing, I want you to turn right back around. Okay?”

Ash rolled his eyes, not really in a disrespectful way, but more of a ‘jeeze, you’re being way too paranoid’ kind of way. “I’d never put Lillie or Snowy in danger! Pikachu and I will be extra careful tomorrow!”

Kukui crossed his arms, not entirely satisfied. “I know you’d never put anyone else in danger. But for once, I’d like you to not put _yourself_ in danger too. Sometimes it’s alright to ask for a _Helping Hand._ ” Of course he had to throw in a move-pun, trying to lighten the topic. Only for a moment though, before he gave the kid a stern look. “Promise me, Ash.”

Ash only gave a moment’s pause, slightly taken aback by the show of concern. Not that the people in his life hadn’t ever been concerned for his well-being before, but they typically weren’t all that forthcoming about it. It made his chest feel tight and his cheeks warm up knowing the professor really cared about him, but Ash would never let on.

“I promise, Professor. I’ll be careful.”

Now Kukui was satisfied. Having successfully gotten through Ash’s thick skull, he settled into a more relaxed position, letting some of the tension bleed off his shoulders. He was about to start their Pyukumuku discussion when another thought crossed his mind.

“One more thing: a lot of people from outside of Alola have already started to show up. I’d be surprised if any of ‘em tried climbing the mountain, but just remember that they might not all be as friendly as the locals. Not that you really need to worry since you’ve met, what, a million different people on your journey?”

Ash, bless his soul, started counting on his fingers all the people he’d met during his travels. He got through two rounds of ten before the professor stopped him, ruffling his hair in the process. “Kid, that’s one _Endeavor_ I don’t recommend.”

“I bet I could count them all! I just need some paper and a pencil…” he started to reach for his bag, but Kukui snatched it away. “Hey!”

“You can count all your millions of friends later. Unless you _don’t_ want to hear about Pyukumuku…” Kukui teased.

“Oh right! Tell me about Pyukumuku chucking! And that little hand in its mouth! What type is it? Does it evolve? Are there lots of them on the island? Can I battle…”

…

“Ash! Wait for me!” Lillie called out, pulling her stuck boot from the pile of snow. After freeing the garment, she huffed and ran after him and Pikachu, annoyed that they wouldn’t slow down. “We’ve got all day to get to the top. There’s no need to run!”

“C’mon! We’ve got so much to see! I wanna meet some Pokémon while we’re h-“ Ash suddenly stepped on a patch of ice and his foot flew out behind him, causing him to faceplant in a mound of snow.

Lillie stuck her tongue out at him mockingly. “That’s what you get!”

Ash brushed his face off, revealing a dark and haunting expression. With no warning, he threw a handful of snow through the air, which promptly smacked Lillie right in the face.

Too busy laughing at his own prank, Ash didn’t see the return attack coming, and a snowball pelted him right in the nose. He laughed off the assault, his easy-going nature getting the better of him.

Lillie helped him to his feet. “We’d better get going if we’re gonna make it back before dark,” she pointed out, always the rational one in a group.

The journey up was a peaceful sort of exciting. Fair weather and no mishaps made for an enjoyable hike, with only a stray snowball or two flying through the air here and there. Snowy was absolutely giddy, romping around in the glistening snow with Pikachu. Lillie watched contentedly as her beloved little ball of cotton fluff dove head-first into a mound of snow.

“Snowy sure does like the snow! We’ll have to come here more often, right Ash?” After a few seconds passed and no response was given, Lillie turned to see Ash staring out across the landscape, a light smile stretched across his face. “Ash?”

The boy snapped to attention, directing his focus to the voice. “Huh? Oh yeah, we should definitely visit a lot more. Snow is so much fun!”

Lillie scrutinized the boy, not satisfied with his enthusiastic response. Nothing seemed wrong, per say, but it wasn’t like Ash to just stare off like that. “Everything alright?”

Ash hummed, giving her a nod. “Alola’s just so nice and peaceful. I really like being here.”

Lillie could tell there was more behind that sentiment, but she wouldn’t pry. Whatever was haunting Ash could stay in the past, and they’d simply enjoy this moment instead.

“I’m glad you’re having fun here. We all sure do like having you around,” Lillie offered with a grin. She didn’t point out the way Ash’s cheeks turned just a little pink, or how he nervously started to rub at his neck and look around for anything to change the subject.

“Let’s keep going! We’re almost there!”

They’d neared the halfway point, which was their final destination. Kukui forbade them from going any further, since it would be much more dangerous the higher up the mountain they went. Especially since there were no adults around, he wanted to make sure they got an icicle and came back safe and sound. Just as the two started to search the area for a suitable chunk of ice, their peaceful day was interrupted.

Pikachu stopped in its tracks, ears perked and nose twitching, yellow tail stock still as it listened intently. Ash, always one to notice any peculiar behaviors of his Pokémon, immediately knew something was amiss. He studied Pikachu for a moment, then turned his gaze to follow its line of sight. Only a moment passed before Lillie and Snowy too became curious, pausing in their game to see what was happening.

For a second, everything was still and silent. Nothing seemed out of place and certainly nothing wrong was visible. Confused, Lillie drew in a breath-

_“Sneeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!”_

A shrill screech pierced the air, quickly followed by the explosion of a Pokémon attack. Smoke billowed into the sky from just beyond the ridge, and the sounds of a battle were carried on the wind.

Pikachu and Ash took off without a moment’s hesitation. “C’mon!” Ash called to Lillie, waving her on to follow.

Lillie startled at being left behind. “Ash wait! We should stay here!” She shouted after him, to no avail. She looked down to Vulpix uncertainly, not wanting to get in the mix of something dangerous. But Vulpix returned her glance with a determine look, hoping to spark her confidence.

Understanding the message, Lillie gave Snowy a nod. “You’re right, we should help. Let’s go.” And took off after them. It wasn’t hard to find the boys, their tracks left in the relatively fresh snow.

Lillie ran until she was out of breath, following the tracks and sounds of battle. Eventually, she made her way through a small patch of evergreens and was left standing on the side of the mountain, the slope just level enough that they could stand without pitching down.

Ash was standing arms spread wide and scowl on his face, body in between a cowering Sneasel and a man who looked like he just walked out of a _So You Just Realized You’re Evil and You’re Totally Committed To It_ seminar. Lillie nearly groaned just looking at him. _‘No man should own that much black leather,’_ she thought, choking on the realization that her own brother had a wardrobe quite similar to the man in front of her.

The man ran his hand through his slicked back hair (ahem- Furret dipped in grease, anyone?) and shook his head. “Get out of my way, brat. Can’t you see I’m trying to catch a Pokémon?”

Sneasel whimpered in fear, obviously not thrilled with the idea of being caught by that man.

Ash gave him a steely glare. “Sneasel doesn’t wanna be caught,” He looked at the Absol standing with the man and the definitive lack of pokeballs he carried with him, “and you clearly have no intentions of honestly capturing it.”

“Ha! Well you’re a bit sharper than I pegged you for!” The man laughed. He unclipped a small device from his belt and held it up for Ash to see. “This here ain’t no pokeball but it’ll still catch that Sneasel just fine. A fine Alolan specimen like that will fetch a real pretty penny off somewhere like Hoenn or Johto.”

Lillie gasped with realization. _‘A poacher!’_ She nearly trembled with fear, looking to Ash with worry. She’d never encountered a poacher before but she’d read dozens of news articles about how ruthless and cruel they were. _‘This is too dangerous! We need to leave!’_ As much as she wanted to help the little Sneasel, it wouldn’t do anyone any good if she or Ash got hurt. Unfortunately, Ash showed no signs of backing down.

“You might as well cut your losses now and get lost! Alola doesn’t need any jerks like you around!” Ash challenged, his disgust obvious. He’d always hated poachers and wished they’d all just realize how terrible they were.

This one didn’t seem to get it though. “Fine! I’ll just have to go _through_ _you_ then!” He turned to his Pokémon, “Absol, use Dark Pulse!”

Absol didn’t falter before firing its attack at Ash and Pikachu. The two jumped to either side, causing a spray of snow to erupt in the empty space. Snow spattered over Pikachu’s face and it frantically wiped at its eyes to clear it away. Ash had fallen back and was covered leg down in the wet snow, making it difficult to escape.

In the cover of the icy cloud, Sneasel escaped into a cave leading into the mountain, Absol and the poacher hot on its trail. Lillie and Vulpix slid down the embankment to where Ash and Pikachu were trying to wave off the cloud of mist.

“Ash! What should we do?”

The boys shared a look and started off into the cave. “We can’t let him get Sneasel. Pikachu and I will follow. You stay out here!”

Lillie stared in shock as they ran off, leaving her behind. “ _Hey!_ ” She shouted indignantly. She stomped her foot and glared at the open mouth of the cave. “We aren’t going to stand around doing nothing. Let’s go, Snowy!”

It took longer than she expected to find everyone, with the chaos converging at the center of the cave. She wanted to stop and admire the fact that she was standing in the middle of the mountain, but there were more pressing matters at hand.

The cave glistened with icy crystals, like stained glass in the sun. They had a faint glow to them, likely connected to the ice Pokémon that lived on the mountain and gained power from them. At the very center, a cluster hung from the ceiling like an icy chandelier, a beautiful blue glow radiating from it. Icicles jutted out from it at every angle, their points sharp yet elegant, like the thorns on a rose. It was beautiful, except for the shattered remains of the icicles busted during the scuffle.

Sneasel cowered behind some of the broken icicles, trying to hide from the poacher. Everyone looked a little worse for wear, the effects of a long battle starting to show. Pikachu and Absol were panting hard, a few scratches marring their skin. The poacher looked real irritated and was sporting a black eye. He must’ve gotten caught in the scuffle at some point. Ash didn’t show any physical injuries, but he was clearly getting tired from chasing after everyone.

Lillie was prepared to step in and help but Ash put a hand out to stop her. He’d promised the professor he wouldn’t let the girls get hurt and he intended to keep that promise.

He took a step in front of Sneasel, using himself as a shield. “Give it up! You’re not going to win.”

The poacher clenched his fists, frustration lacing his frame. He looked around the cave for anything that could help, eyes eventually landing on the icicles in the middle of the room-

-conveniently hanging over the brat that wouldn’t get out of his way.

He bared his teeth at the boy and turned to Absol, “Dark pulse! Aim for the ceiling!”

Ash and Lillie were taken aback in confusion, unaware of the sinister plot. Absol gave a moment of hesitation, casting a wary glance at its trainer. It knew full and well what the poacher wanted to happen. But something inside the Pokémon fought against the command.

When its trainer noticed, he gave Absol a sharp glare. “Do it!”

Not needing to be told a third time, Absol fired an attack at the ceiling, hitting the base of the giant cluster of icicles. Ash and Pikachu realized what was happening and tried to get out from under the giant mass. A few smaller icicles fell from the ceiling and shattered all around them, but an ominous creaking signaled that the main crystal was going to fall.

Lillie watched in horror as the two became trapped by falling ice. She wanted to help but knew that even Snowy couldn’t stop all of that.

Ash was beginning to panic as he dodged a falling icicle. It shattered on the ground next to him, little shards spraying out in a circle. He saw Pikachu side step a different icicle, but they couldn’t advance without being hit by one. He peered around the cave looking for a clear patch. Though there wasn’t any section perfectly without danger, there was a small opening where most of the icicles already seemed to have fallen.

“Pikachu! This way!” He pointed towards their exit, letting Pikachu take the lead. The Pokémon only made it a few feet before an unfallen icicle began its decent, heading straight towards the unaware creature. Luckily, Ash noticed just in the nick of time. “Look out above you! Use iron tail!”

Pikachu looked up just in time to notice the threat, and in the blink of an eye destroyed it. Ash sighed in relief, stopped in his tracks from the waning fear for his partner. He watched as Pikachu landed and turned back towards him. What was originally a look of gratitude quickly turned to icy fear as Pikachu watched the giant ice gathering finally break away from the ceiling.

Lillie also noticed, a moment too late, what had happened. “ _Ash!”_ She cried in time with Pikachu’s desperate “ _pika!_ ”

Ash looked up to see the crystal begin its fall right above him and he raised his arms over his head in a half-hearted attempt to protect himself.

Pikachu, with a desperate burst of strength, charged up its electricity and fired a Thunderbolt towards the icicle that was inches from crushing its trainer. It hit its mark in a burst of sparks, and the attack erupted on contact, air crackling with energy. A deafening roar split through the cavern, and a smokey mist settled in the center room.

Lillie couldn’t see a thing, and she couldn’t tell if Pikachu’s attack had destroyed the ice. “Ash? Pikachu?”

Snowy clung to Lillie’s side, also trying to see its friends in the fog. It gave a small cry too.

It took a couple of minutes for the air to settle, and finally she could see the end result of the scuffle.

Sneasel was standing cautiously at the edge of the cave, still uneasy but not nearly as scared as before. The poacher and Absol had apparently taken off when they realized their stunt had gone too far, since they were nowhere to be found. Ash was lying on the ground, surrounded by shattered ice. Lille rushed to him and carefully dropped to her knees on the ground beside him, fearing the worst. Thankfully, when she got a closer look she could see him holding a hand to his chest and grimacing, Pikachu licking his cheek.

She sighed in relief ‘ _at least he’s alive.’_ Giving him a once over and making sure he hadn’t been, like, impaled or anything, she finally regained her composure. “Are you both alright?”

Pikachu gave her a nod and a little reassuring peep, but it wasn’t very enthusiastic. Ash cracked his eyes open and gave her a smile. “We’re fine. Did you guys get hurt?”

Lillie returned his smile. “No, Snowy and I are just fine.” She helped Ash sit up and dust the ice off his jacket. “That terrible man must have run away.” Ash gave her a worried look but she quickly reassured him. “Don’t worry! He didn’t get Sneasel. It’s still here.”

The Pokémon in mention stood shyly to the side, clearly a bit worried about the humans but recognizing that they’d helped. Ash noticed It was covered in a couple concerning scratches from the battle.

“We should have Nurse Joy look at it. Let’s head back to the ba-“ He’d started to stand up, but promptly fell back down on his butt as he clutched at his chest, an unknown weight bringing him down.

Lillie stooped down in front of him and tried to peel his hand from his jacket, but the boy was reluctant. “Please let me see, Ash. What if you’re really hurt?” She gave him her best worried and guilt-trip-y look, which always did the trick, and he let her move his hand. Realistically, it was only a small scratch that just tore through the fabric, but still the sight of blood made Lillie gasp. Which in turn made Ash start to panic and Pikachu begin to freak out.

“What is it?! Is it bad?!” Ash asked, somehow finding the energy to be loud in this situation.

Lillie realized her mistake and composed herself again, using her glove to dab at the cut. “It’s not bad. Sorry, I just wasn’t expecting it. You must’ve been hit by a shard from the larger icicle. It’s a little cut.”

“Phew, okay. Then let’s go,” He started to stand _again,_ but the weight in his chest turned to a sharp, stabbing pain. He wound up back on his rear, doubling over on himself in pain. 

“Ash, slow down! You might have a concussion from the explosion!” Lillie scolded. “We need to take it slow.”

Ash was sure that probably wasn’t the issue, but he agreed to slowly trek down the mountain with Lillie regardless. He carried the Sneasel gently, trying his best not to jostle it. When they finally reached the base of the mountain, they hurried to the Pokémon center to have Nurse Joy take a look at it.

Too late, Ash remembered who would be waiting for them at the Pokémon center, and he realized there was no turning back.

Kukui was standing outside the center speaking with one of the locals. He had his back turned to the two kids walking up.

“Professor Kukui,” Lillie said quietly, trying to get his attention.

“Hm?” Kukui turned on his heel, eyes meeting his two students’, some relief bleeding off his frame. That was, until he scrutinized his boy a little more thoroughly, taking in the clear signs of a struggle. “Do I even want to know what happened to you two?”

Ash laughed and started his explanation, “Ah it was just-“

“Ash fought off a poacher.” Lillie, knowing Ash would either lie or severely downplay what had happened, decided to interrupt and throw it all out there at the start.

The two watched the color visibly drain from Kukui’s face. He stood up straight and adjusted his glasses so the glare blocked out his eyes. “Inside, _now.”_

The kids didn’t need to be told twice, so they hurried in. Kukui followed after saying a quick farewell to his acquaintance. Once inside, his steely demeanor didn’t fade. He took one look at the Sneasel in Ash’s arms and started to put the story together himself. “Lillie, would you take Sneasel to Nurse Joy and see that its taken care of?”

She nodded, shucked her coat as fast as possible, and took the Pokémon from Ash, scurrying away and leaving the two boys behind.

Ash and Kukui just stood there in silence for a couple moments, letting the tension build before it all crumbled away in one sigh from the professor. He took his glasses and hat off, giving Ash a saddened look. “Are you alright?”

Ash had enough presence of mind to feel some guilt, looking away sheepishly. “I’m fine, professor. And… I’m sorry…”

Kukui stooped down to be eye level with the boy, placing a hand on his shoulder. “You were protecting that Sneasel, right?” Ash nodded, not meeting his eyes. “Well, then you have nothing to be sorry for. You’re a good kid, Ash. I’m just worried is all.”

Ash finally looked up to meet his eyes, perking immediately. He hated disappointing people, especially the professor. “Really, I’m okay, professor! It’s just a little scratch!”

“Then tell me how you got that, if its just a _little_ scratch that is.”

Ash rubbed the back of his neck, weighing his options about what to tell the professor. He figured he could probably get away with leaving out the less than safe parts of the story. “You see-“

“Be honest, please.”

Ash sighed, slumping with defeat. He recounted the whole story, scary details and all to the professor, who listened intently without interruption. Though what Ash was saying scared about 5 years off the professor’s life, he wasn’t going to sit there and act like he wouldn’t have done exactly the same. Not that he was about to tell Ash that, he didn’t want the kid making a habit of this hero business.

As Ash finished, Lillie and Nurse Joy returned with a bandaged but otherwise alright Sneasel. “Somebody wanted to say thank you for the help,” Nurse Joy said as she plopped the Pokémon into Ash’s lap. Though it stilled seemed a bit timid of the humans, it gave Ash a tiny cry as a thanks.

“No problem, little guy! I’m just glad you’re okay!” Ash was probably petting the Pokémon a bit more enthusiastically than it would have liked, but the Sneasel endured it. “What will you do now?”

Nurse Joy plucked the Pokémon from Ash’s lap, “We’ll keep it here for a few days until its better, then I know some trainers who can take it back home.” She handed it off to Lillie before turning back to Ash, “Come with me and we’ll get Pikachu and _that_ -“ she pointed at the tear in his shirt and the little scratch marring his skin- “looked at.”

Ash was obviously about to protest, but Kukui beat him to the punch. “Thank you, Nurse Joy. That would be a big help,” he turned to the boy, “right, _Ash?_ ”

Taking the hint, he nodded. “Okay, thank you Nurse Joy.”

As he got up to follow, Kukui stopped him. “Why don’t you leave your coat with me? Less for you to carry around.”

Ash hadn’t even taken his off yet, which was a little odd considering it wasn’t at all cold enough at the base of the mountain for it to be necessary. But he just waved the professor off, running after Nurse Joy and Pikachu, “It’s fine, I don’t mind it! Be back in a _Flash_!”

The terrible move-pun cut Kukui’s concerns about the coat short, and gave him just enough recovery to call out, “Don’t give Nurse Joy any trouble and we’ll get dinner after!”

Now _that_ was the easiest way to get the kid to behave.


	2. The Guardian Trinkets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Consistency? We don't know her. Also are you guys proud of me? I'm proud of me, I didn't think I'd actually post tonight but Here I Am! Also thank you guys for all the nice comments and support! I hope this chapter has some good excitement for you all!!

Ash woke with a violent shiver, reaching for the thin woven blanket he’d shunned to the floor the night before. A stiff chill wafted through the morning air, sending himself and all his Pokémon into a fit of shivers. At first, Ash barely registered the odd climate. Granted, there had been the occasional morning where it’d been a little damp and chilly. That normally only happened after a heavy rain, though, and it hadn’t rained for well over a week on Melemele, so that couldn’t be what was causing the cold.

He shivered again, the hand-woven throw doing little to stave off the draft. Pikachu, either also feeling the cold or sensing the discomfort of Ash, curled up even tighter to his frame, offering a spot of warmth.

“Thanks, buddy,” Ash absentmindedly stroked his partner, slowly waking more and more. It was still pretty early in the morning, and even Rotom wasn’t up yet. He didn’t think he’d be able to fall back asleep tonight, the nightmare lingering in the back of his mind.

Funny, the chilly breeze seemed to have slipped right from his own dream and materialized in reality.

Ash didn’t want to think about the dream. The way the cold had wrapped around him, eating him from the inside out. Freezing the breath in his lungs. How it had felt so real, and so familiar. He didn’t want to think about the implications, the warnings, the fact that this had happened so many times before, in so many different ways (it always ended the same, though). He didn’t want to think about any of it.

He never did.

The wind whistled as it blew through the open skylight – he should really get up and close that – bringing in more frosty air and sending the rest of his Pokémon into shivers. Just as he made a move to get up, Rowlet shimmied out from its usual spot in Ash’s bookbag and tucked itself into the crook of Ash’s neck.

“Rowlet-“ Ash whined, not wanting to disturb the bird but also needing to move. He started to awkwardly shift around it when Torracat jumped on the bed, curling up against his side. “Just wait a sec-“ Lycanroc decided to join the group, and unceremoniously flopping onto Ash’s legs and stomach, knocking the wind out of the kid.

He gave a quiet laugh, realizing he was effectively stuck.

Oh well, at least everyone was warm now.

And, would you believe it? The comforting weight of his Pokémon put Ash right to sleep, not a bad dream in sight.

…

“What the hell?” Kukui nearly dropped his mug of coffee as he stepped onto the front porch and was greeted by a thin sheet of ice neatly slicked over the landscape. This was not something he’d seen before. At least, not something he’d seen in the peak of summer, when temperatures wouldn’t fall below ninety degrees most days.

Truth be told, Kukui’d only seen a frost on his porch once-

“Ah _CHOO!_ ”

Kukui jumped out of his skin, successfully dropping his mug this time around. Clutching at his chest, he turned to see Ash standing behind him, eyes half lidded and rubbing his nose that was dripping and red from the cold. How a kid as loud as Ash could ever manage to sneak up on him, Kukui would never know.

“You look like as cold as a Cubchoo! **”**

Ash nodded, covering his chest with his arms and shivering slightly. “Professor, I’m gonna be honest, I didn’t think it got cold here.” His voice was soft with drowsiness, but there was an edge of curiosity laced in.

Kukui reached for the shirt he normally wore on his morning runs (don’t tell anyone, though) and handed it to Ash. “Here you go,” It definitely wasn’t thick and wouldn’t really stave off that much cold, but it was something. “You’re not exactly wrong, kiddo. This is pretty unusual.”

Ash seemed to pause ever so slightly as he pulled the shirt over his head, something like recognition flashing in his eyes. Kukui would have asked about it, but just as quickly as the look had come, it left all the same.

Huh, that was unusual too.

Shaking off the thought, Kukui smiled and picked up his surprisingly unshattered cup. “Let’s get ready for class. The sun will melt this frost off quicker than you can say ‘ _Crabominable’!_ ”

Ash laughed, heading back into the house. “Oof, not your best work. Did the cold freeze the Pokémon pun part of your brain?”

“I’m wounded!” Kukui fell on the couch with all the dramatics of a daytime soap opera star, throwing his arm over his eyes to hide fake tears. “You’ve struck me in my most vulnerable spot – _the puns_! How will I ever recover!”

He heard Ash laughing from the kitchen. Uncovering his eyes, however, revealed a very unamused Torracat. It looked at him like it was saying _“really? You’re delaying my breakfast for_ that _? Don’t quit your day job.”_

Kukui set a hand on the cat’s head, petting it gently. “Not to your liking, huh?”

Returning with a couple bowls of poke chow, Ash chimed in, “It’s saying you better stick with being a professor.”

_‘He sure does know his Pokémon.’_

The trip to school was just as peculiar as the rest of the morning. Kukui somehow managed to dig out a sweatshirt that wasn’t absurdly large on Ash’s frame for him to wear until the ice melted off. He’d figured that would have happened by the time they’d made it to the school, but in all honesty, Kukui thought it had gotten even colder.

There was no way that was right.

All his students had come with their warm clothes on, including but not limited to: sweatpants, sweatshirts, jackets, pullovers, gloves, and even a scarf in Lillie’s case. They’d dusted off a space heater that hadn’t seen the light of day since the 90’s, just to help ward off the chill in their delightfully open-concept classroom (‘Great for growing children! They should be able to experience nature at every opportunity!’- an excerpt from an ad for the Pokémon school Kukui definitely isn’t thinking about at the moment). Everyone sat shivering in their seats, hoping at any moment that Charizard might set something ablaze, just for the warmth of it.

_‘It’ll be warm by lunch.’_ Kukui foolishly thought.

It was Not.

In fact, it was _colder_ by lunch.

Cold enough that he decided to send the kids home a bit early, rather they be inside in their homes than freezing at the school.

Besides, he only had on his lab coat and boy had that been a mistake.

He sent Ash ahead of him as he went to convene with Principal Oak and a few other teachers at the school, hoping one of them might have some insight on the weather. He also needed to call his students’ parents and let them know why their little _bundles_ of joy would be home earlier than expected.

Principal Oak returned with a few books just as Kukui finished his last call with Kiawe’s mother. From the sounds of it, the weather wasn’t quite as bad on Akala, but still chillier than anyone expected. Hopefully some of the old weather records would provide some insight.

If only Oak would wipe that shit-eating grin off his face and hand them over.

Kukui scowled at the man, “what’s the look for?”

“I think you’re forgetting a call, Professor Kukui. Yes, you most certainly are. Here, I’ll get you the telephone number,” Oak teased as he tore out a strip of paper and started to write something.

Kukui was momentarily worried, wondering just which of his student’s he could have forgotten. He’d called Kiawe’s mother, Sophocle’s mother, Lana’s father, Mallow’s dad, and Hobbs on Lillie’s behalf, so what? Did he have another student he wasn’t thinking about. “Who-“ He started, cutting himself off as he read the number handed to him by the Principal. “Oh, ha-ha. Real funny.”

He was staring at his own cell number.

Oak crossed his arms and mockingly shook his head. “Tsk, tsk, Kukui. You need to call Ash’s father right away! What if he gets worried?”

Kukui crumbled the note up and threw it away, snatching Oak’s books in the return trip. “Yeah yeah. Everyone thinks I’m such a dad to Ash. Real original. Can you all start coming up with something new?”

“Why would we do that when this joke’s still funny?”

Kukui flipped through the weather archives, waving Oak off absentmindedly. His eyes skimmed dozens of reported weather incidents before he landed on the one he was looking for.

Though the pages of this entry were ripped, stained, and barely legible in most places, and Kukui hadn’t needed to read Ancient Alolan since his days in grad school, the information he needed was there.

He hadn’t been entirely honest with the kids when he’d said Alola hadn’t had any problems since the blizzard 300 years ago. About 100 years after, something similar had happened to the region. An insane snow storm covered the region and nearly everything had frozen over, just like it had when The Guardians and Necrozma had to come together and stop the blizzard.

At the time, Alola still had the tradition of the region’s trainers meeting on Mt. Lanakila and battling until only one was left, and they were deemed the champion of Alola.

At the time, nobody in Alola saw an end to the storm, so they sent the current champion off to try and help. He wanted to recreate what The Guardian’s had done, offering a part of themselves to appease the storm. And so the champion set off to convene with Tapu Bulu, Tapu Lele, Tapu Fini, and Tapu Koko.

Though the four could not offer a part of themselves again, so soon after the last storm, they each gave the champion a small token imparted with a piece of their aura. Though what the original items had been was lost to history, most believe they were just small toys or trinkets The Guardians had collected over time.

The champion brought the collection of toys to the peak of Mt. Lanakila, where the storm had originated, and offered them to Necrozma in exchange for the storm being stopped. Everything worked perfectly.

But no one knew what had caused the storm and what would be done if something like that happened again, so the Island Kahuna’s and Island Guardian Pokémon came together in an agreement. Each of the Tapu Pokémon would keep an item imparted with their aura hidden somewhere on their respective item, in case a storm would kick up again.

This is where the second part of the Harvest Festival came from. The real Guardian Trinkets were hidden in similar locations to the ones the kids had gone to a few days ago, and the tradition of gathering those little bits of dirt or ice came from the idea of gathering the real toys. The genuine toys, however, would be much _much_ more difficult to find.

Unfortunately, Kukui knew what he needed to do.

…

In only twenty-four hours, the weather had taken such a sharp turn that Kukui nearly had whiplash.

After he resolved to retrieve the Guardian Trinkets, Kukui had headed home to prep for the journey the next day. He fully expected to have Ash asking a million questions as soon as he walked through the door, but when he got home, he found the boy and all his Pokémon bundled on the couch under every blanket they could find, forming a sizeable mountain of comfort. Kukui was a bit perplexed (and only a smidge jealous), but he figured there was little else the freeloaders could do with it being as cold as it was. Deciding against waking the boy, he began his preparations. He’d packed lightly, opting for just simple things such as water and a meager first aid kit. And his trusty team, of course. Some warm clothes laid out for the night and some food set aside for Ash when he got up, Kukui went to bed to rest for the cold journey he expected tomorrow.

He _hadn’t_ expected it to snow nearly a foot overnight.

Kukui stood on the front porch and watched his breath rise into the sky like smoke from a cheap cigarette.

This wasn’t going to be fun.

The creaking sound of his front door alerted him to Ash’s approach, and he turned to offer the kid a chattering smile. “Morning, kiddo.”

“Good morning, Professor.” Ash replied as he stifled a yawn. He took in the outfit of the man in front of him and his head tilted in confusion, like a Rowlet. “Are you going somewhere?”

“Yeah, I’ve got something to take care of. I wasn’t sure when you’d get up, so I left a note on the counter.” He suddenly realized how early it was, “Why don’t you go back to bed? There’s food for breakfast and lunch, and I’ll be back before dinner.”

“Where are you going?” Ash asked, clearly not satisfied with the answer he received.

Kukui rubbed the back of his neck, trying to find the right words. “Well, Principal Oak and I might’ve figured out how to fix the weather, but I’ve gotta visit the Tapu Pokémon first. This is something a champion’d normally do, but I guess I’m the next best thing.”

“Oh.”

The two stood there in silence for an icy moment, the whistle of snowy wind in the background. Kukui didn’t know what else to tell Ash, but the kid seemed like he wanted something else-

“I’ll go get my jacket.”

_‘Huh!?’_ Kukui nearly fell over when he heard that. Ash couldn’t be serious, this isn’t something a kid needed to deal with. “Woah, not so fast!” He caught Ash by the back collar of his shirt, turning him around in an instant. “What makes you think you’re coming along?”

Why the hell did Ash look more confused than before. “Why wouldn’t I go?”

Kukui didn’t know how to respond to that. Why was his first thought that he needed to tag along on a potentially dangerous and certainly not child-friendly journey. “Ash, I can handle it fine. Just wait here for me, alright?”

“But-“

“No ‘buts’. I’ll only be gone a little while and you’re gonna wait for me _inside_ with your Pokémon. Principal Oak and Hala’s numbers are in the note if you need anything.”

“Professor-“

“I said, _no._ ”

Kukui’s voice raised ever so slightly and he stood up straight, giving Ash a very pointed look, eyes just sharp enough to say ‘end of discussion.’

Ash just huffed and crossed his arms, not meeting the Professor’s glare. Why was he ordering him around like a little kid? It’s not like the Professor was his dad or anything.

Kukui felt himself start to lose resolve, hating the sternness in his demeanor, opting instead to turn his back to Ash. He wasn’t sure what to say, but he hated leaving on such a sour note.

“I’ll be back soon.”

He hesitated only a moment to see if the boy would offer a response, but none was offered. He should’ve expected that, but it still stung.

…

Truth be told, Ten Carat Hill was conveniently close to Kukui’s house, so he really had no reason at all to be complaining about the weather and not being able to ride Braviary. But still, he was not a fan of the cold and wanted to be out of it as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, the dampness of the cave really did nothing to improve the environment, so Kukui was forced to continue his journey through the hill in an unpleasant mood.

He’d only made it but a couple yards into the cavern before _something_ (just a Pokémon, right?) skirted across his path, hiding once again in the shadows. And now that he thought about it, he should be seeing quite a few Pokémon in the cave, considering it was at least something of a shelter and many Pokémon called the hill their home.

He hadn’t seen but just the one.

Kukui continued forward, trying to get to the Farthest Hollow as briskly as possible. He wasn’t thrilled about having to venture into the hollow. It was one of the few places in Alola that was off limits to its residents, due to it being treacherous to explore. There was no easy path down to the bottom, and it was known for being a resting place for some of Melemele’s strongest Pokémon. The few times some unfortunate trainer tried their hand at reaching the base, they’d either come running back with their Pokémon in terrible shape or had needed to call for emergency help to be removed from the hollow.

Kukui wasn’t quite sure how he was gonna get his ass down there, but he had to figure it out sooner rather than later.

The other dangerous thing about Ten Carat Hill’s Farthest Hollow was that it contained Melemele’s Guardian Pokémon’s sacred trinket. Nobody knew what the object was, just that it was there.

And that he needed it to stop this storm.

Kukui suddenly stepped into an open space, daylight streaming in from the top of the hollow at an angle that blocked most of the snow from blowing in. Kukui had never been to the hollow before and was taken aback by just how large it was. It was beautiful too, with a large field of grass and a crystal clear pool of water in the center. A few berry trees dotted the yard as well, and patches of flowers painted the landscape in beautiful color.

Kukui sure would love if there was an elevator, or even a set of stairs that would lead him to the bottom.

No such luck.

He thought about riding Braviary down, but he didn’t want to cause a territory issue with any of the local Pokémon. Instead, he’d have to travel along a ledge just a few feet wide that wound around the inner walls of the hollow. He’d take it slow and steady, watching his every step. It wouldn’t do any good if he fell and got hurt now.

He didn’t make it but five steps before an attack that had obviously been meant for him veered left just enough to slam into the wall in front of him.

“What on earth!?” He shouted in surprise, eyes scanning the room for the source of the attack. He quickly found his mark- an Onix down at the base that was giving him one hell of a glare.

Something about it was off though. This didn’t seem like your run-of-the-mill territorial dispute. Onix’s eyes were shaded over, like it was possessed or something.

Whatever the case, it was not happy with Kukui’s presence. It sent a Rockthrow right at the professor, and he realized he wouldn’t be able to summon his Pokémon fast enough, opting instead to throw his arms in front of his face in a halfhearted attempt to shield himself.

Just as he should’ve been pulverized by the attack, another Pokémon’s cry came from the inner portion of the hill along with a bolt of electricity that destroyed the Rockthrow on impact.

“Professor!”

_‘Great…’_ Kukui grimaced internally, knowing exactly what was happening and not liking it at all. He turned to see none other than Ash and Pikachu emerging from the cave, barely stopping in time to not careen right off the edge and into the hollow.

“What are you doing here, Ash!?” Kukui scolded, meeting Ash halfway and putting himself between the boy and the edge of the path.

“I was worried that you’d need help,” Ash offered with an unbelievably sincere look, like he wasn’t actively giving Kukui a coronary embolism.

“How did you even know where I was?”

“You left your research notes about the Guardian Trinkets on the table and I guess I just assumed you’d come here first since it was the closest! Sure was lucky of me to pick the right one!”

Kukui was just about to tell Ash to take his ass back home when the kid’s grin suddenly broke. Kukui turned to see another Rockthrow headed their way, and before he could even flinch, Ash was taking charge of the situation.

“Pikachu, Electro Web!”

The mouse complied, again successfully stopping the oncoming assault.

Kukui sighed in relief, “Thanks-“

He was cut off by two Power Gem attacks coming from a pair of Carbink just a bit further down the path. Kukui threw himself and Ash to the ground just in the nick of time, a spray of rubble washing over them as the attacks collided with the rocky wall.

Kukui glanced at those Pokémon, getting the same off feeling that he’d gotten from Onix.

Okay, maybe he would need a little help after all. But he wasn’t about to admit that out loud.

Time for Plan B: get the trinket as fast as possible and get the hell out.

Kukui reached for his belt and brought out a pokeball, releasing Braviary in an instant. “Take care of Onix!” The Pokémon appeared in a flash of light and immediately took off towards the Onix, dodging attacks along the way. In the meantime, Ash and Pikachu had sent the Carbink packing, clearing the path ahead. Kukui took off sprinting, pausing just long enough to shout back at Ash. “Let’s go! Stay _right_ behind me!”

Ash wasn’t about to challenge that, matching Kukui’s pace with ease and staying just a step behind him as they wove down the path.

They’d made it a decent clip before another stray attack from Onix exploded behind them, nearly causing the boys to lose their footing and spill over the edge. The interruption gave Kukui enough pause to notice a few more Carbink come into their path.

He stopped on a dime, shooting a hand out behind him to catch Ash. “Look out!” He gave just enough warning for Pikachu to let loose a Thunderbolt and stop another Power Gem attack.

They didn’t notice the pair of Roggenrola behind them, or the oncoming Mudslap attack that hit them dead on.

Kukui and Ash let out a cry as they were thrown off their feet from the impact. Kukui needed a moment as he struggled to his feet, but Ash recovered like it was nothing (damn that youthful energy), pulling his bookbag off his shoulders and yanking the zipper open. “Rowlet, help us out! Use Leafage!”

Rowlet, in a legendary feat, emerged from the bag completely awake and already charging up its attack. Ash seemed confident enough that Rowlet could handle the Roggenrola, so instead he pulled Kukui to his feet and pushed them both forward. “We gotta keep moving, Professor! Something’s not right with these Pokémon!”

So Ash had noticed it too, then.

No time to dawdle as even more possessed Pokémon started appearing. It was a dangerous back and forth of progress and dodging attacks as the boys made their way down into the hollow. Just as they neared the base, another attack from out of nowhere exploded at their feet and threw them from the path.

Kukui laid on the ground curled in on himself from the pain as the cloud of smoke shielded them from any other attacks. He needed to get up and check on Ash, but his head was pounding and his body felt too heavy to move. Whatever had just hit them was strong, much stronger than any normal Pokémon. A few yards away, he heard Ash and Pikachu coughing from the smoke, which gave him enough cause to get his old ass up and moving. He stumbled the short distance and fell to his knees next to the boy, who’d managed to push himself up onto his elbows.

“Are you hurt?” Kukui questioned, though he already knew the answer.

Ash gave him a smirk and a thumbs up. “We’re just fine!”

_‘What a liar.’_ Kukui thought, but if Ash was well enough to lie, he’d live long enough for them to get out of this mess.

“Professor, what was that?”

“I don’t-“

“ _Kokoooooo!”_

The shrill cry of Tapu Koko cut through the air as the smoke cleared away and the guardian Pokémon became visible. It loomed over the professor and Ash, a dark aura spilling from its frame. Its eyes were shaded over, and it didn’t seem to recognize either of them.

Kukui couldn’t believe it attacked them, especially Ash. Tapu Koko was so fond of the kid that he never thought it would hurt him. That just proved to him something was wrong with these Pokémon, like something was controlling them.

“Tapu Koko! What’s wrong!?” Ash cried, jumping to his feet and running towards the Pokémon.

Kukui reached after him but wasn’t fast enough. “Ash, stay back!”

Tapu Koko shot forward to attack but Pikachu protected Ash at the last second, Kukui following close behind.

“Ash, I’ll distract Tapu Koko while you go get the trinket. It’s right there in the center of that pool.”

Ash gave him a nod. “Okay! Pikachu, let’s go!” He took off towards the water, Pikachu hot on his trail.

Tapu Koko was about to give chase when Kukui decided enough was enough. He reached for another pokeball, ready to keep Tapu Koko distracted as long as Ash needed. “Not so fast! You gotta get through me first!” He threw the ball into the air and a Pokémon appeared in a flash of light.

“Lucario, lend me a hand!”

“ _Cario!”_

While Tapu Koko and Lucario duked it out, Ash raced toward the trinket.

He dodged under an attack from the Carbink and slid into the pool, which ended up being only a couple inches deep. The water was so crystal clear and pristine, Ash nearly felt bad muddying it up.

He reached the center and stopped to awe at the pedestal and trinket floating in the water within. Not to diminish its beauty, but Ash thought it looked a bit like a bird bath. Regardless, he reached into the water and grasped the trinket, pulling it out slowly. Some invisible force seemed to hold it in place, so Ash had to grab on with both hands and pull with all his might.

As he was fighting to get the toy, Kukui and Lucario were losing the battle against Tapu Koko. Lucario took one last hit and was down for the count. Kukui was about to call out another Pokémon but Tapu Koko was too fast and shot right past him.

Right towards Ash.

Just as Ash broke the trinket free from its hold, Tapu Koko attacked with Shock Wave, sending him and Pikachu flying, landing in the pool with a dramatic splash.

“ _Ash!_ ” Kukui cried out as he watched the boy take the hit. He looked to see if Lucario had gotten to its feet yet, but unfortunately it was still struggling to stand. Damn, they were in a tight spot and Koko looked ready to attack again. Kukui recalled Lucario and dashed towards Ash to get the boy out of danger. A shock from Tapu Koko alone could do some damage, but being surrounded by all that water was going to make it much worse.

Tapu Koko started to charge up its electricity, eyes locked on the boy. Pikachu was standing protectively over him, cheeks sparking in rage. It wasn’t going to let the Guardian hurt Ash without a fight.

Kukui stepped in between Ash and the battle, arms spread wide in defense. “Tapu Koko! Stop this now!”

It challenged back, “ _Tapu!_ ”

_‘I guess we’ll have to fight,’_ Kukui realized. He turned to the yellow Pokémon in front of him in a plea for help, “Pikachu, will you battle with me?”

“Pika!”

Kukui didn’t have much time to rejoice as Tapu Koko charged in with another attack, Wild Charge if Kukui guessed right. He needed to counter it before they were all taken out, mentally running through the list of moves Pikachu knew as if it were his own Pokémon. In the back of his mind he wondered how Ash would proceed, but there wasn’t any time to second guess himself.

“Pikachu, Iron Tail!”

Pikachu launched into the air and hardened its tail, stopping Koko in an explosive hit. They were both knocked back a spell, taking a fair amount of damage equally.

Kukui saw an opportunity, “Don’t give it any time to recover! Use Quick Attack!” He knew it wouldn’t be terribly effective but speed was their best offense at this point. He wasn’t sure how they were supposed to beat the guardian but if they could just get a second to escape, then that was enough.

The quick attack seemed to phase Koko- _‘how strong is this Pikachu?’-_ so Kukui decided to up the ante. “Pikachu, Thunder Bolt! Give it your all!” Maybe the electric attack wouldn’t be that effective against Tapu Koko, but it may be just enough to throw it for a loop.

And Pikachu had no intentions of holding back, not with Ash in danger. It charged up as much energy as it could and let loose a thunderbolt that could cut the sky in half.

Tapu Koko closed its shell in defense, but that did little to weaken the blow. The electricity surrounded its shell and trapped it in a shocking prison. The energy collapsed on Tapu Koko and generated an explosion that nearly blew Pikachu off its feet. Kukui looked up from where he was hunched over Ash, waiting to see if Koko was out for the count.

When the smoke cleared, Tapu Koko was still floating, not unscathed but still in fighting form. Kukui nearly swore, thinking they were in deep shit, until he noticed the aura coming off the guardian had shifted.

It finally recognized them.

“Koko…”

Kukui breathed a sigh of relief, realizing they were out of danger for the time being. But he knew Braviary and Rowlet were probably just about wore out, so they were going to need to deal with the other possessed Pokémon in the hollow soon.

Tapu Koko seemed to realize this too. It drifted to the center of the hollow and used its ability to create an Electric Terrain that seemed to act as a protective barrier to everyone within the hollow. The other Pokémon quickly came to their senses, halting their attacks.

“Thank goodness,” Kukui breathed, some tension bleeding from his frame. Finally, they could catch their breath. He turned his attention to Ash, who was coming to. “Hey, take it easy.” He pulled the boy up into a sitting position, running his hands over the kids frame to see if anything was broken. Thankfully, it looked like he just had a couple of scrapes here and there. “’Ash, are you alright?”

He huffed deeply a few times and Kukui almost thought he could see the kid’s breath, but it wasn’t nearly cold enough in the cave for that. He must’ve been seeing things.

Ash was holding his head, gently shaking off the dizziness. “I’m fine, just need a minute.”

That was concerning, Ash would never admit something like that normally. But he seemed fine enough, and he was recovering quickly. “You scared me for a second.”

Ash had the decency to look a little guilty, even though it wasn’t really his fault. “Sorry about that-“ his eyes widened suddenly, and he shot to his feet. “Pikachu! Rowlet! Are they oka-“ Ash doubled over, clutching at his chest.

Without warning, it felt like his lungs had turned to ice and pain coursed through his body. The breath caught in his throat, freezing in his lungs and settling like a dead weight in his chest. A searing pain shot through his nerves, but it was a cold sort of pain, so cold that it felt like he was burning. It made his body feel like a lead brick, and he suddenly didn’t have the strength to hold himself up.

Kukui caught him before he could fall, gently lowering him to his knees. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

Ash pushed him off, trying to stand again. “Are Pikachu and Rowlet okay? Did they get hurt?”

“They’re both fine, look-“ Pikachu and Rowlet both appeared in front of Ash, a little worn out but otherwise fine, more concerned for their trainer than anything else. “Ash, you’re hurt. I’m taking you to get help.”

When Ash looked at Kukui, took in the concern and worry (all for his sake) plastered on his face, something inside him seemed to thaw away. He didn’t like making Kukui worry, but it was nice to know the man cared for him. It made his stomach do a little flip flop, and it made him feel all warm inside.

Which was exactly what he needed right now, so that worked out pretty well.

The pain had seeped out of Ash by this point, and he stood up straight again. “I’m fine, just needed to shake off that attack. Look, I got the trinket!” He held his hand out to Kukui, an obvious deflection tactic, but not exactly a lie.

Kukui stood too, wiping dust off his knees and the hem of his pants dripping water. He sighed, taking the toy from Ash and giving it a once over. He didn’t know how this little thing was going to save Alola, but it was all they had.

Well, one down three left, right?

Kukui wanted to eat a hot meal, call his wife, and sleep for roughly two weeks after that whole ordeal.

He never got what he wanted.


	3. The Fight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yall I added a lot to this at the last minute so it may or may not be coherent. Also you guys leave the nicest messages?????? They're literally so nice I'm shook.
> 
> This one is a tad shorter, but the next two are Thicc. Anyways, I'm off to decided just how cringey and corny I want this next chapter to be. As it stands, as it is currently written, it's VERY corny. I haven't seen this much corn since I lived in farm-land Ohio! (cue that little drum sound, the ba-dum tss. You know.) Do we have a preferred cringe level?
> 
> I've derailed from the main point. Anyways, please enjoy and let me know what you think!

Ash stormed off towards home, leaving deep footprints in the snow- the kind that were elongated from not being able to pick your feet up high enough to clear the snow with every step. Pikachu hopped along next to him, the snow too high to walk through anymore. Pikachu would normally climb on its trainer’s shoulders, but Ash was upset right now and probably wanted to kick up some snow and blow off some steam.

Pikachu could always tell when Ash was upset.

“Stupid professor!” Ash yelped, kicking up a foot-full of snow as he pushed forward. He turned to Pikachu and threw his arms out in exasperation. “Doesn’t he get it? I can help! I always help!”

“Pika,” Pikachu knew.

Ash softened for just a second. “I mean, _we_ always help. Right, buddy?”

“Chu!”

He silenced for a moment, lost in his thoughts. This wasn’t anything new to him. He’d seen every disaster imaginable at this point, and still managed to make it this far unscathed. Though maybe the professor didn’t exactly know that, but why couldn’t he trust Ash to help!

It didn’t feel right to sit at home and wait for someone else to fix everything.

Ash got heated again, reaching down to pick up a ball of snow and hurled it into the ocean. The snow hit the surface of the water and dissolved as it crumbled away. At least the ocean still seemed to be warm.

Ash picked up another ball of snow, and then another and another and another and kept on going until he’d finally reached the sand. He kept thinking about every incident he’d had to go through, every time the world needed him, and how he loved feeling needed like that but hated the pressure. He wanted to throw all this snow back into the ocean and make it dissolve away. Alola wasn’t supposed to be snowy! It was supposed to be warm and happy and carefree!

“Alola was supposed to be _different!_ ” Ash cried out as he wiped away the icy sea water stinging his eyes.

He didn’t always mean to get involved, but the second that ice crystal had shattered above him, Ash knew he was a part of something big. He wasn’t ignorant, he’d already figured this storm was caused by that Froslass’s curse. If the nightmare hadn’t sold it then the three feet of snow in one night sure had. It was just like every single other time the world needed a hero, and somehow Ash ended up being right at the center.

Pikachu finally jumped up on Ash’s shoulders and nuzzled into his neck. It understood what he meant. All they’d wanted when they came here was to get away from it all for a while, to _not_ be needed for once. That hadn’t seemed like so much to ask at the time.

But now, when they _were_ needed, all Ash wanted was to be there to protect the people he cared about.

And Kukui was just making it so difficult! What was he so worried about anyways? Ash hadn’t failed yet and he didn’t plan on failing any time soon. So what was the professor’s problem?

Pikachu sighed, knowing all too well what the professor was worried about, but also knowing all too well that its trainer was too dense to ever figure it out.

They stayed like that, staring at the Alola ocean for just a few moments. Ash didn’t know what he was going to do next, but he knew Hala would call Kukui immediately if Ash wasn’t home when he got there. He turned to finish the trek back home when a strong gust of wind and sleet cut across the beach, nearly throwing him off his feet.

The chill that ran down his spine was unlike anything he’d felt before. Shivers wracked his body and he folder in on himself, wrapping his arms around his chest desperately trying to block out the cold. The wind began howling so loud that nothing else could be heard, not even Pikachu’s concerned chatters in his ear. As he tried to blink away the icy tears that had formed from the wind, a new landscape was painted right in front of his very eyes.

…

The temperature really did a whole 180 as soon as Kukui stepped onto the volcano. He immediately ditched his coat at the entrance of the park, coming this close to losing his shirt too but deciding against it (he didn’t need to singe his chest hair, after all). The snow that was falling from the sky didn’t stand a chance, evaporating midair, creating a steamy landscape. It was like walking through a dense fog, but still so different.

Kukui could swear he saw glowing eyes in the mist.

Ignoring the horror-movie-esque fear sending a shiver down his spine, Kukui pressed forward. He knew the trinket was deep into the park, likely where life was hard to sustain and temperatures rose far beyond something a person or Pokémon could withstand for more than a few minutes. It was going to be tricky getting in and out fast, but if Kukui could manage to sneak in without disrupting any of the wild Pokémon, he should be fine.

Besides, it had to have been a fluke that those Pokémon in Ten Carat Hill had attacked them. It wouldn’t make any sense for the Pokémon a whole island over to be just as aggressive.

He’d be fine.

Kukui actually made decent progress without incident. Once or twice he could’ve swore something had been following him, but every investigation led to nothing. He was just paranoid, is all.

The temperature had risen to an uncomfortable point, and now Kukui really regretted not ditching his shirt. Then again, ash falling from the volcano could leave a pretty nasty burn if it got on his skin. Better to be sweaty than charred.

He tried to take his mind off the heat and the whole situation in general, but unfortunately his mind wandered in less than pleasant places.

…

_The two boys had just climbed their way out of the hollow, careful of the winding edge and mindful of any misplaced step. The Pokémon of the hill regarded them warmly, a vast change to the greeting upon entering the cave. The weather had not let up at all, the storm raging just as it had before and the cold deepening even further._

_Tapu Koko sent them off with a thoughtful look and a brisk farewell. It seemed to understand the circumstances of their visit and why they were taking its sacred item, and Kukui wished desperately that the Pokémon could speak of what it knew about the storm._

_Kukui had arranged a ferry earlier that would take him to the next island. It would take most of the afternoon to reach Akala by boat, but flying just wasn’t an option. Kukui did the math, and figured if he went to the boat now he’d have enough daylight by the time he reached Akala-_

_“Which island are we going to next, Professor?”_

_Kukui startled from his thoughts, nearly forgetting the kid and mouse that were still with him. He scrubbed a hand over his face, trying to wipe away the frustrations that were building._

“We _are not going anywhere._ You _are going back home.” He tried so hard to sound stern, but he figured even if it did Ash would still argue._

_He was right._

_Ash clenched his fists in the way he always does when he gets ready to argue. “Why can’t I come along? I already helped get Tapu Koko’s toy and everything turned out fine!”_

_“You could’ve been hurt! You almost were hurt!”_

_“I can take care of myself! I can help!”_

_“I will not argue about this, Ash!” Why couldn’t Ash understand this wasn’t his battle to fight? Kukui didn’t know what to do, Ash was usually very good about listening to reason. This was like a whole different side of him, and it scared Kukui._

_“Go home.” Kukui ordered._

_“You can’t stop m-”_

_He cut Ash off before he could challenge, “Go home right now. I’m calling Hala to stay with you until I get back. Do as he says, and do not leave the house. Understand?”_

_Ash crossed his arms and turned away from Kukui, not meeting his eyes._

_Kukui wasn’t dealing with the childish act. “Do you understand, Ash?”_

_There wasn’t even a hesitation before Ash threw his hands in the air and kicked up some snow, stomping off in the direction of Kukui’s house. “Fine! Let’s go, Pikachu.”_

_Kukui watched until he was out of sight._

_…_

Kukui wished the two of them hadn’t fought, but he wasn’t about to bring Ash along. And the kid was just going to have to come to terms with it. He’d followed up on his threat and rang Hala, so at least he knew Ash wouldn’t be popping up any time soon. Hala would set him straight and keep him hunkered town. That eased his mind a little and made it easier to concentrate on the task at hand.

Kukui had the audacity to think things were going pretty well.

Serves him right that on his next step, a Salandit popped out of nowhere and shot an ember right in his face.

Kukui dodged behind a boulder, trying to see into the mist where the Salandit had slithered off to. Another ember burst through the fog and hit just next to his head, sending sparks flying. It was already unbearably hot and the fire type attacks were causing flashes of heat so intense, Kukui choked on the dry air.

_‘Perfect.’_ Kukui groaned, reaching for a pokeball. He was still tired from battling Tapu Koko and he really didn’t want to get into again so soon.

Too bad, Professor.

His hand passed over each of his pokeballs, trying to decide who to call out. Lucario and Braviary probably needed to rest more, and he wanted to save Incineroar incase something really bad came at him. Venusaur would be at a disadvantage, and honestly some speed would be helpful too. Empoleon, though, would be prefect for this situation. But Kukui really needed Empoleon in top form for the next trinket, in case things went sour there.

He was overthinking it, and he knew it. He used to be better at thinking on his feet

“What would Ash do…”

Kukui needed to decide fast. He could see the Salandit lurking in the steam, and it looked like there was more than one.

Way more than one. _Way_ more than one.

He heard a hiss from within the steam, and too late he realized a group of the Pokémon had lunged in his direction. At this point all he could do was brace for the hit and hope for the best.

A call cut through across the landscape, “ _Stone edge_!”

Kukui nearly shot up from his place behind the boulder, coming close to having his head chewed off by a stray Salandit. _‘What the hell!?’_

He knew that voice anywhere, damn it. And you know, he wasn’t even grateful that those Salandit were stopped before clawing his face off. That would have been preferable to what was currently going down.

The assailants were thrown away by the Stone Edge, and the attack also cut a line of sight through the mist, revealing none other than one Ash Ketchum.

Kukui wiped a hand over his face and groaned. _‘Why Arceus? Why me?’_ He reached up just as soon as Ash was in arms reached and snatched his arm, yanking him back behind the boulder. “Why are you here!? What happened to Hala?” Ash didn’t croak out more than a syllable before Kukui cut him off, “You’d better have a really good reason for being here, young man!” Kukui scolded, a bit more panic lacing his tone than he intended.

And the kid didn’t even look remotely guilty this time, even a little _annoyed_ in fact. Like he _knew_ Kukui needed his help.

Kukui wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

Ash, somehow more of an adult in the situation, turned on his heel to face the steam. “I’m here to help. There are a lot of Pokémon hiding in this fog, and I think they’re acting funny like the ones in Ten Carat Hill.”

Kukui gave Ash a shocked look. How could he tell? Kukui certainly hadn’t noticed, and didn’t think there were quite that many Pokémon out there. Honestly he’d thought it was far too hot for many Pokémon to be this near the volcano. Maybe the heat was getting to his brain.

Here to help or not, Ash had disobeyed him once again. They were going to be having a serious talk when this was all over.

And maybe it wasn’t the disobedience Kukui was concerned with. Maybe it was the fact the kid had no reservations about putting himself in danger.

Maybe Kukui was just mad that the kid could tell he needed help.

Maybe, maybe, maybe! Kukui was so lost in thought he didn’t notice Ash getting out his pokeballs. And he nearly jumped out of his skin when the kid finally spoke up.

“Professor, can Braviary use defog? I think it would help if we could see what was out there,” Ash suggested.

Kukui blinked like a Hoothoot, stunned that such a young trainer was able to stay this levelheaded in a dire situation. Sometimes Kukui forgot just how good Ash was.

Kukui nodded and called for Braviary, knowing it had the energy to at least use the one attack. “Use Defog!”

In a flap of its wings, Braviary cleared the mist away.

Kukui almost wished it hadn’t.

He peered around the boulder and found staring back at him was an entire army of Salandit, Magby, Cubone, Marowak, and Salazzle.

And commanding the assault, Tapu Lele.

Reacting on instinct, Kukui shoved himself and Ash further behind the boulder for protection. They needed a plan. And at the very least, clearing the fog made the trinket visible across the park. Kukui’d only got a glimpse, but it was enough.

The trinket was sitting in something akin to a sculpture, made from the volcanic rock that surrounds the volcano. Heat could be seen coming off the rock in waves, coupled with the mist from the storm, well the whole thing looked pretty mystical.

Ash cut across his thoughts again, “I can distract the Pokémon if you go get Tapu Lele’s trinket,” He offered, confidence and determination pouring off him. Any normal child would be scared shitless, but Ash was acting like this was a normal Tuesday for him.

Had he done this before, Kukui wondered.

Kukui shook his head, wiping sweat from his eyes and taking a glance at the advancing army behind them. “Not a chance, kid. There’s way too many of them. We just need to get out of here and come back later.”

Ash knew every second they wasted was a second closer to Alola being frozen over. He’d seen what Alola would become if they didn’t fix this soon. He knew what would happen to all the people and Pokémon, to his friends and family. Ash was terrified.

“But we’re running out of time!”

Kukui startled from the shout. Aside from today, Ash didn’t really get into arguments all that much, and there wasn’t any reason to think they had a deadline to get the toys. “What are you talking about?”

He clammed up, trying to think of anything he could say to backtrack. Coming up short, he decided to go for deflection instead. “The storm’s getting way too bad! My Pokémon can handle it. You just need to grab the thing as fast as possible, then we can go.”

“But-“

“ _I can handle it!”_

Maybe it was the steely look in his eyes, the fiery determination in his aura, or the nagging sense of ‘we don’t really have any other option’, but Kukui conceded defeat. “Alright. Get their attention and I’ll go get it. You got my back?”

“Of course.”

“Then let’s go.”

…

Things actually went decently smooth for the first few minutes of the operation. Ash hadn’t been kidding when he said he and his Pokémon could handle it. In fact, they were absolutely killing it against those wild Pokémon. Ash was amazingly coordinated with all four of his Pokémon at once, truly showing off his skill as a trainer. Even Tapu Lele couldn’t break through their defense.

The thing though, none of the Pokémon had even looked in Kukui’s direction. If their goal had been to prevent anyone from getting Lele’s trinket, then they should’ve been all over him.

But they were only focused on Ash.

When Kukui realized that, that’s when things started to fall apart.

He’d already grabbed the trinket and was making his way back when he saw it:

Tapu Lele rushed past Torracat, flinging it aside with ease. It charged up energy and released a full powered Moon Blast, aimed right for Ash.

Who was too focused on Rowlet and Lycanroc to notice.

“ _Look out!_ ” Kukui surged forward with a cry, certain he wouldn’t reach the boy in time. By some miracle, he felt his hands shove against Ash’s side just before the attack reached its mark.

Everything after that was pretty much a blur.

_Except_ for the jolt of pain that surged through his body as the force of the attack flung him into the same boulder they’d been using as protection mere minutes before (irony, anyone?).

Kukui must’ve blacked out for a second, because the next thing he knew, the most amazing thunderbolt was being released right before his eyes, taking out every single Pokémon in its path. It looked like it sparked in every color of the rainbow, and left a trail of electric scorch marks in its path.

Seeing through stars, Kukui watched as Ash and Pikachu used their special Z-move to reduce Tapu Lele and all the other wild Pokémon to the point of collapse. Kukui wished he’d been more aware for the whole thing, since the split second he could see was absolutely spectacular. It was truly like nothing he’d ever seen before.

Kukui blinked and just like that, it was over. Or had he blacked out again? Couldn’t be too sure, in all honesty.

The next time he pried his eyes open, he watched as Ash and Pikachu rejoined, both breathing heavy. Kukui found that odd, Ash should not be that tired after using a Z-move. He’d have to ask him about-

Kukui’s heart leapt into his throat as he watched Ash collapse to his knees, clutching at his chest much in the same way he did at Ten Carat Hill, pain written all across his face. Kukui wanted desperately to go to him, but his limbs felt far too heavy and he found himself out again. Damn concussion.

Or had he been? Because when he reopened them, Ash was still trying to recompose himself. Either Kukui was doing better than he thought or Ash was doing worse than he thought, and the latter was far more worrying than the former.

Another blink, and this time he was being gently shook by the shoulder. He had a splitting headache, but at least he could tell he was starting to come around this time.

“Professor?”

God, it sounded like he was wearing a fishbowl. He was getting too old for this adventuring stuff. How did the kids do it these days.

“Professor? Can you hear me?”

Right, Ash. The poor boy was probably worried sick. C’mon, Kukui, time to get it together.

“…Hng?”

You’re doing amazing, sweetie.

Ash’s voice barely cut through the haze. “What am I gonna do? I can’t get you to the Pokémon center by myself. I can’t leave you here either… I wish Rotom were here. Then we could call for help…”

Kukui could tell Ash was scared and trying his best to help him. Okay, now it really was time to get his act together. Kukui took a couple slow, deep breaths, trying to clear the fog in his mind. He rubbed the stars out of his eyes and tried to rid the dryness in his mouth so he could form a coherent sentence. “Ash, I’m okay.”

“Professor!” Ash lit up and fell back on his rear in relief, shoulders sagging in relief.

Kukui sat up straight, taking stock of the bruises he’d be dealing with tomorrow. He knew his shoulder and back would be mottled with black and blue splotches, but so long as nothing was broken, he’d be fine.

After a good night’s sleep, of course.

He gave Ash a good once over too, making sure the boy was alright. Thankfully, he seemed to have escaped untouched.

Kukui wondered why that didn’t make any sense. For some reason, he felt like Ash had been hurt but he just couldn’t put his finger on it. He tried to remember what would make him think that, but the last couple of minutes seemed to jumble together in a mess. Kukui decided to let it slide, since Ash looked completely fine now. He must’ve imagined it.

Damn concussion.

He shifted ever so slightly, just trying to sit up straighter, and a jolt of pain shot through his body. That Tapu Lele really did a number on him and it couldn’t even help heal since Ash and Pikachu had knocked it out.

Kukui surveyed the scene before him, taking in the sheer number of conquered foes in just one attack. It was eerie, just how much damage one Pokémon and trainer could do. Kukui swallowed hard, barely able to contain the unsteadiness of his voice. “So, uh… how did you manage-“ Kukui swept a hand out in front of him “- _this?_ ”

And Ash looked like he didn’t realize what a feat it was. “Pikachu and I just used our Z-move is all.” He stood from his spot on the ground, reaching a hand out for Kukui. “We should head to the Pokémon center. I think the Pokémon could use a rest. And maybe Nurse Joy can help you too.”

Kukui didn’t know why, but the sentiment hit a nerve. Realistically, he knew Ash was only worried about his health, but the suggestion just came off as mocking. Like Kukui was someone who needed help all the time. But he was an adult and he could keep his mood in check.

He grabbed Ash’s outstretched hand and the boy pulled to get him on his feet, but Kukui recoiled fiercely. The pain that came from the strain was so intense that Kukui had to sit back down, and his hand felt like it had been _seared_. How did Ash manage to burn him? He quickly checked it for any damage, but found it was icy cold to the touch?

Regardless, the pain from his shoulder took precedence. In a grunt, he curled into himself and cradled the injured shoulder, barely registering Ash’s sincere apologies through the sting.

And when Ash reached for him again, Kukui unthinkingly flinched away. So much for keeping his attitude in check. “I’m fine. Let’s just go.”

…

The journey to the Pokémon center was miserable at best, downright hostile at worst. Every time Kukui so much as stepped slightly wrong, a jolt of pain would shoot through his shoulder and down his back. Of course, he’d had a bitch of time trying to put his coat on when they’d reached the end of the park. He could barely move his upper body to try to wrestle his coat on, and when ever-so-helpful Ash had tried to assist him, Kukui snapped again.

The professor felt guilty immediately, but was still in enough of a mood that he let the boy walk the rest of the way in gloomy silence.

After arriving back at the Pokémon center, Kukui and Ash went their separate ways so the old man could get looked at and the kid’s Pokémon could get treated.

Nurse Joy may not have been exactly licensed to treat humans, but she still did a damn good job. She assured Kukui that nothing was broken or seriously injured, and he’d only be sore for a few days. Plus some strong pain meds really helped the situation.

Kukui’d had enough time to sleep off the first dose and just start to feel the pain coming back when his door creaked open, slow with timid hesitation.

“Are you feeling any better, Professor?”

Kukui turned to see Ash standing in the doorway, the Pikachu in his arms fully healed. He stood stock still, a true feat for the young trainer, eyes not meeting Kukui. He wouldn’t edge away from the entrance, a nod to some very uncharacteristic anxiety in the boy.

He could feel the nervousness in Ash, and that just increased his own tension. Kukui knew he wasn’t acting like himself, that he wasn’t normally this tightly wound and high strung. He wasn’t usually this indecisive and so unsure of what to do. This wasn’t like him at all, and that was getting on his nerves too. The whole situation was compounding his bad mood and he really wished Ash would just go, because the last thing Kukui wanted was to snap at him.

“Yes, I’m fine.” He was really trying to not let the aggravation seep in voice, but from the look on Ash’s face, he was not successful. Didn’t the kid understand he wasn’t frustrated with him?

Ash hugged Pikachu tighter into his chest, eyes glued to the floor. It looked like he wanted to say something, but just couldn’t find the words.

Kukui sighed, blowing off some frustration. He tried to break the tension, “We can stay here tonight, then I’ll drop you back off at the house tomorrow. I still have two trinkets to get, so I’ll be gone for another day or so.” There, that didn’t sound quite as aggravated.

Ash seemed to take that as an invitation to come into the room, his demeanor shifting back to confident. “Oh! I had an idea, actually.”

Kukui couldn’t _wait_ to hear this.

Ash smiled cheerfully, “I thought I could go get one of the trinkets while you rested up!”

“ _What!?_ ”

The boy flinched from Kukui’s tone, his confidence immediately dwindling. “Well, you see-“

“What? What do ‘I see’, Ash? What on earth makes you think that’s a good idea?”

“I thought-“

“What could you possibly have thought that made you think I’d be okay with you going somewhere dangerous all by yourself?”

Never one to back down, Ash steeled himself against the scolding. “It’s not like I haven’t done it before! I can handle it!”

Kukui took just a second to file the first part of that statement away, intending on asking about it later. Right now, he needed to nip this conversation in the bud. “Just because you _think_ you can handle it doesn’t automatically mean you can. You are not to leave this Pokémon center without me, end of discussion.”

Ash clearly did not agree with that. “But professor, you’re too hurt to go out again! You need my help!”

Kukui _knew_ then tension had built too much. He shouldn’t have gotten into it with Ash, because he immediately regretted what was said next.

“I don’t _want_ your help!”

Ash recoiled like he’d been struck, shoulders tensing impossibly tight. His jaw was clenched shut, having nothing to say. 

And wasn’t that the truth. Ash had never been any good at helping. He knew he always messed things up, and then people and Pokémon would get hurt because of him. This time someone really important to him had paid the price because he couldn’t be a better trainer.

His help was no good.

“Ash-“

“I’m sorry-“ was all Kukui heard before the boy turned on his heel and booked it out of the room, tail tucked between his legs.

Kukui could’ve swore he saw Pikachu glaring at him, but he must’ve been imagining it.

How did he always manage to say the wrong thing in these situations? He should have been thanking Ash, in all honesty. The kid _had_ been helpful and didn’t deserve the hostility. He groaned, knowing he couldn’t let Ash sulk for the rest of the night just because Kukui was in a pissy mood and was taking it out on him.

Just as he was about to get out of bed, Nurse Joy returned wearing a stern expression. “Not so fast, Professor. You’re still on bed rest.” She man-handled him back into the bed and forced two little pink pills into his hand. “Take these for the pain. You’ll probably feel a little sleepy, but you should be resting anyways.”

Kukui wasn’t about to argue with her, this Akala Island Nurse Joy being notoriously stubborn with her patients.

He swallowed the pills dry, appreciating the bitter taste washing away the bad taste of his own words. As Nurse Joy was checking his bruises, Kukui spoke up, “Will you make sure Ash gets something to eat? I don’t think he’s had anything yet today.”

Joy hummed at him, not removing her eyes from the task at hand.

“Can you also make sure he gets some sleep? I know he’s tired but he probably won’t want to sleep.”

A nod this time.

“And will you tell him I want to see him? Please?”

Finally finished with her assessment, Nurse Joy leaned away and gave Kukui a reassuring smile. “Of course. I’ll make sure your kid is taken care of. Now you get some rest, Professor.”

Kukui could already feel his eyes getting heavy, and when had these Pokémon Center pillows gotten so soft? It was so nice and warm in the room too.

He barely muttered a thank you before slipping into a deep, peaceful sleep.

It didn’t last into the morning.

“What do you mean _he’s gone!?_ ”


	4. The Resolution

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all are way too kind and you make my heart do the smile emote, do you know that??? Do you all know you're the nicest people???? It's important to me that you know this.
> 
> Anyways, this shit show goes on as promised! (check the end notes for some ~author fun facts~)

Icy air seasoned with salt nipped at Kukui’s face as he raced along the waves of an unsettled ocean. His coat was pulled tight around his frame, collar flicked up in a hopeless attempt to ward off the breeze. Every bump, every sharp hit against the ocean’s waves sent a jolt of pain through his shoulder and down his back.

He barely registered it, so caught up in his own thoughts.

…

_“What do you mean_ he’s gone _?” Kukui demanded, voice just quiet enough to not be considered shouting, but certainly right on the cusp._

_Nurse Joy shook her head remorsefully, “I’m sorry, but he left a few hours ago. He said there was something important he had to get, and not to wake you.”_

_“Why would you let him leave in this weather? Why didn’t someone tell me?” Kukui interrogated, furious that no one had informed as soon as Ash decided to walk out the door._

_Nurse Joy, though, was not taking any of Kukui’s crap. “He’s a licensed trainer in seven regions, Professor. I had no authority to stop him. And you still need your rest.”_

_Kukui ran a hand through his hair, blowing air through his teeth to bite down any harsh comment that dared try to escape. It wouldn’t do him any good to have Nurse Joy against him. The important thing was that he find Ash as fast as possible._

_“Did he say where he was going?”_

_“He asked if any boats were still going to Poni Island.”_

_“And?”_

_“He got on the last ferry off the island. The storm’s getting too rough for anyone to be on the ocean, so the coast guard officially shut down all water transportation just a short while ago.”_

_“You’re telling me there’s no way I can get to Poni Island.”_

_“I’m afraid so, Professor.”_

_…_

Now how Kukui went from being told there was no way to cross the ocean to literally being on a boat with none other than Team Rocket is an entirely different story. But long story short, he found the crooks camping out by the harbor, and some mild threatening later -( _“You either take me to Poni Island right now or so help me Arceus, I’ll stop fucking around and send you back to Kanto myself.”_ )- Kukui found himself sitting on the world’s tackiest theme boat, slowly making his way to Ash.

The three criminals and Kukui sat in _very_ uncomfortable silence for the beginning of the ride, but Jessie, James, and Meowth could only sweat it out for so long. The brooding aura coming off Kukui could rival that of a 2009 scene kid, and the bad energy practically poured off the man in waves. Finally, Meowth broke the tension.

“So, Professor Twerp, what’s with the weather huh?”

Kukui scowled at the disrespectful name, glaring at the talking Pokémon. He wasn’t ashamed to admit that he’d found the unusual Meowth so fascinating when he’d first seen it. But after being annoyed by the group so many times, he kinda wished it would just _stop_ talking.

“Don’t know.”

The red haired one crossed her arms and huffed, breath visible in the cold, humid air. “Some professor you are. Usually the other professors have _some_ clue.”

Kukui didn’t rise to the bait, didn’t have the energy to get in a fight with people who’s collective moral compass pointed just a bit east of a Unovan capitalist. Though he was curious what she meant by the statement.

The blue haired guy with the Mareanie gave him a softer look. “Where’s your boy at? He normally finds himself in these situations.”

_“Your boy”_ Kukui’s stomach did a little somersault at the words. Even the non-local criminals thought he acted like a dad to Ash? Sheesh, was he that obvious?

“We… we’re trying to fix the weather. He got a head start this morning and I need to catch up.” Not his best lie, but it’ll do. He didn’t want these crooks trying to take advantage of their situation.

James, Kukui thought that was his name, gave him a small and reassuring smile. He did always seem to be the kindest of the three, and Kukui found himself wondering why he was even part of Team Rocket.

“Sounds like the twerp’s got himself in another mess.”

The red headed one, however, got on his nerves nearly as much as the Meowth. Speaking of-

“Bewear was talking about the curse before we left-“

“Curse?” Kukui hadn’t heard anything about any curses. He didn’t know how much he could trust these three but if they had any information at all, it would be helpful.

“Something about ‘The Curse of the Frozen Maiden’ is what it said. I guess some brat got duped by her boyfriend a long time ago and, I don’t know, froze to death on a mountain? Bewear didn’t want to talk about it that much.”

Kukui couldn’t believe what he was hearing. There was no way that stupid myth was true. It just couldn’t be possible that: A. a woman died and turned into an icicle that turned into a Pokémon, and: B. that some run of the mill Pokémon could be causing this weather.

It didn’t make any sense. If a Pokémon could cause this storm at all, it would have to be something like a Kyurem or maybe an Articuno? But even then, that just didn’t seem possible. This storm stretched across an entire region and reached disastrous levels in less than two days. While certainly unnatural, there wasn’t any way a Pokémon could have caused it.

And yet, the more Kukui thought about it, the more he realized it may very well have been possible. He’d heard countless stories about recent events where old legends were proven true. It seemed like over the last couple of years, myths from all across the world were being brought back to life and causing problems in their wake.

He figured it was about time something like that happened in Alola.

Kukui must have been caught in his thoughts for too long again, the silence growing uncomfortable once more, since Jessie started to fidget in her seat.

“How do _we_ always get roped into these situa-“

Kukui snapped, “If you’d stop following Ash around and harassing him, you wouldn’t get caught up in this shit!” He was aggravated, annoyed, and in pain, and he didn’t want to hear the threesome of criminals complaining.

Maybe he was a little worried too. Or mostly worried. But whatever, those three were still irritating.

That shut the trio up fast, though he could have swore he heard the talking Meowth mutter something about ‘old twerp’ but he ignored it, deciding to focus on the journey ahead.

The sea was growing rougher, a slushy layer of sleet forming on the top layer. The waves tossed the rickety novelty boat back and forth in a way that it shouldn’t have been able to withstand. Kukui sat at the rear, hunched over on himself as he watched Poni Island grow in size as they drew near.

He only hoped he wasn’t too late.

The boat barely came up next to the dock before Kukui jumped off, taking off in a dead sprint towards Poni Breaker Coast. He didn’t even slow as he shouted back to the group, “Don’t even _think_ about leaving this island!”

His feet thudded on the dirt path towards the coast, chilly rain stinging his skin and keeping his mind sharp. He hadn’t run this much in quite a while, and the icy air was ravaging his lungs. He should’ve long been too tired to continue, but fear and panic kept him going strong.

An eternity later he reached the entrance of the cave.

The thing about Poni Breaker Coast was there were several different alcoves and caves leading into the island, but their openings were recessed into the coast and could only be accessed when the tide was low. The access points would fill with water during high tide and anyone caught inside would be trapped in a watery grave if they didn’t manage their time properly.

Kukui ignored all the signs warning people of the dangers ahead, much like Ash must’ve done if he were already inside.

Thankfully, the tide was still fairly low, but it was on the rise. He only had a few hours before it’d be too high for them to escape, so he had no time to lose.

The inside of the cave was slick with sea water, and the path twisted and wound in all different directions. Kukui only hoped he was going the right way, that Ash had chosen this cave, this path, this terrible decision.

As he got closer and closer to the center, Kukui could hear the distinct sounds of battling that assured him he was headed in the right direction.

Finally, he reached the center. As he stepped into the opening, he was greeted by the sight of Tapu Fini defending the guardian trinket, cornering the intruders into a tight spot. Pikachu was panting heavy, clearly to the point of exhaustion but not willing to give in while its trainer was still in danger. Ash’s other Pokémon were nowhere to be seen, so either he hadn’t called them out or they’d already battled to their point of exhaustion. And the rest of the Pokémon of the cave had already been dealt with, too weak to continue fighting they cowered in the rear of the cavern and watched.

Kukui pulled a ball from his belt, ready to jump in and save the day. But he stopped in his tracks, ball in hand, thumb hovering over the release as he watched the battle before him unfold.

Tapu Fini reared up and shot a Muddy Water attack at Pikachu, but the boys were quick to react.

“Dodge with Quick Attack!”

Pikachu did as told and shot through the cavern at breakneck speeds. Kukui could barely keep his eyes on it and nearly missed when Pikachu slammed into Fini from underneath.

“Electro web!”

“Pika!” A net of electricity flew through the air and surround Tapu Fini, immobilizing it. It tried to break free but had no such luck.

Ash was about to call the next move when Fini had a breakthrough, busting through the net in a flash of light and sending Pikachu flying with a hydro pump. It hit hard, sending the small Pokémon tumbling. Kukui thought that would be the end of it. But Pikachu stood right back up like it hadn’t even been hit.

“How…”

“You okay, buddy?”

“Chu!”

“Then let’s end this! Quick Attack, run along the wall!”

Kukui’s jaw dropped in awe as he watched Pikachu speed up even faster than before, using its speed and centrifugal force as traction to race along the slick wall of the cave. Pikachu was able to clear any obstacles or openings along the wall with ease, all while gaining speed. It was going so fast, Kukui had to stop watching as he became dizzy.

Tapu Fini had to do the same. It cried out in rage and frustration, letting Muddy Water attacks fly in every direction. A few came dangerously close to Kukui and Ash, but they managed to duck out of the way.

Once Ash was satisfied with the pace Pikachu picked up, he barked out, “Keep it up and use Thunderbolt!”

Pikachu somehow managed to keep its speed while also discharging a long Thunderbolt attack. Not only did it hit its mark, electricity started to building in the arena, crackling and sparking in the air.

Kukui was starting to worry this was going to hurt. “Ash! Wai-“

“Electro Web! Go!”

Pikachu stopped on a dime and ricocheted off the wall, somersaulting in air as it fired the attack at Tapu Fini. It swallowed the guardian in sparks and reacted with the electricity that had built within the cavern.

The explosion was massive.

The force from the blast knocked Kukui off his feet, injured shoulder slamming painfully into the ground. He saw stars for a good moment, but was able to blink them away quickly enough. Not that he could see anything though, since the whole cavern had filled with dust and smoke. He coughed, waving to clear the air in front of his face, like it would actually do something.

He waited for the dust to settle, listening for any signs of battle. He was certain Tapu Fini was out for the count, how could it not be? But he wanted to make sure first, rather than sound off his position and wind up with a Hydro Pump to the face.

The only thing he could hear was his heart thud in his chest, which also wasn’t too reassuring. He’d hoped to hear Pikachu and Ash too.

An eternity later (less than 30 seconds), the air cleared and Kukui could see the result. Tapu Fini was down, that was certain. There’d also been a bit of damage to the cave itself, hopefully not to the extent to cause structural problems though Kukui wouldn’t want to try his luck today. Really though, he just wanted to find Ash.

Which wasn’t so hard in the end. He and Pikachu had obviously been blown back by the explosion as well, and they sat at the edge of the cavern watching and waiting to see if Tapu Fini could continue. Ash was hugging Pikachu tight even though the little mouse still looked raring to go. When they realized they’d won, Pikachu let out a shrill, happy chirp, Ash laughing in unison.

Sheesh, Kukui thought they looked like they were having _fun._

He almost didn’t want to ruin the moment but unfortunately, he still needed to get them out of there as soon as possible. “Ash! Pikachu!”

The boys’ heads popped up, turning towards the sound with a look of shock plastered on their faces. They quickly ended their celebration and hurried over, acting like they’d been caught with their hands in a cookie jar. “Professor! I know you told me not to leave but I woke up _really_ early and I didn’t want to wake you but I couldn’t sit around and do nothing and I tried _really_ hard to wait but I knew where the trinket was and Nurse Joy told me the boats would run for much longer and-”

“It’s okay!” Kukui interrupted, stopping Ash’s one breath explanation that may very well have gone on forever.

In all honesty, Kukui had been furious the entire time up until this exact moment. And yes he was still mad at Ash for not listened and putting himself in danger _again_. But he could see Ash was perfectly fine, barely a strand of hair out of place.

And he was finally starting to understand.

Ash just wanted to help. Kukui knew that’s all he wanted this entire time, he’d just been too worried to see it. But watching that last battle, seeing just how amazing of a trainer Ash could be in a dire situation, well Kukui was starting to realize that maybe, just maybe, Ash knew what he was doing.

Besides, he and that terrifyingly powerful Pikachu had taken out three guardians already. That had to count for something.

Kukui noticed Ash staring at him expectantly and a bit confused, so he gave him the most reassuring smile he could and put a hand on his shoulder. “That was one hell of a finale, kiddo.”

Ash’s grin spread wide and his eyes gleamed from pride. “You think? I’m just glad we pulled it off! Right, buddy?”

Pikachu responded with the same energy, also beaming with pride.

Kukui didn’t want to kill the mood, but they were on a time crunch. “Alright, let’s get out of here before everyone wakes up. Did you get the trinket?”

Ash dug it out of his coat pocket, handing it to Kukui. “Yup! We were going to grab it and leave, but all those Pokémon got in our way.”

Kukui started leading them back along the path, checking his watch as they went. “Tell me about it along the way, we need to hurry.” He’d hoped Ash couldn’t hear the edge creeping into his voice, but that unfortunately didn’t seem to be the case.

“Why do we need to hurry?”

Kukui didn’t want to give Ash any reason to be worried, but the kid was pretty smart and very persistent. He’d either figure it out on his own or force it out of Kukui. “The tide’s been rising for a while now…”

“The tide?”

“Yes. If the tide gets too high the cave will fill with water and, well…” Kukui heard Ash stop, and turned to see a concerned look plastered on his face. He tried to backtrack, “But it’s okay! We should have plenty of time! We just need to keep up a good pace.”

Ash didn’t look at all reassured. Wonder why.

The boys made their way back through the twisting path of the cavern, not slowing once and encountering no hurdles. Though Kukui could feel the tension building again. Ash was letting him lead the way, but Kukui could feel the impatience growing in the boy. He’d grown quiet as they trekked on, and Kukui felt something gnawing at the kid’s mind. Kukui was certain they didn’t need to worry though. At the rate they were going, there would be plenty of time to escape, so long as-

Kukui stopped so abruptly Ash slammed into his back, nearly knocking the two of them over. He tried to question their sudden change of course, but Kukui shushed him and ushered them back a few yards.

They’d nearly made it to the entrance when Kukui spotted a shapeless shadow lurking in a pool of water. He was past the point of assuming there was nothing to be concerned about.

“Ash, get back.”

“Huh?”

Kukui barely had time to put himself between the danger and Ash before a phantomlike figure shot from the depths of the pool, firing an attack in the boys’ direction.

They ducked below the assault, stumbling back to the safety of the passageway. Kukui glanced around the corner to see exactly what was halting their progress.

A Dragagle crossed his line of sight. “Shit…” Kukui muttered, momentarily forgetting the child in his presence. He reached for Incineroar again, knowing he needed a Pokémon that could end this fast.

Secret identity be damned.

First, he needed to make sure he wouldn’t have any distractions. He turned to tell Ash to stay behind, but was greeted by the sight of the kid doubled over in pain, just like he had at Ten Carat Hill and Wela Volcano Park. Ash clutched at his chest, huffing out deep, pained breaths, whole body wracking trembling with shivers.

Now Kukui was certain something was wrong with Ash. He hadn’t been injured at all during the altercation with Tapu Fini, so there was nothing new that could be causing this.

He searched Ash’s face for any hint as to the problem, trying to think of any illness or injury he’d seen before that could be causing something like this. “Ash, what’s wrong?”

“I-“ He grimaced, grasping tighter at the shirt covering his chest, “I don’t know.”

Well, at least it was an honest answer.

“Do you think something’s broken?” Ash shook his head no. “Do you feel sick?” Another shake.

“It’s just… cold? That doesn’t help, ‘m sorry,” Ash apologized, realizing he couldn’t effectively describe the problem.

And Kukui felt awful. He knew Ash was trying his best and still thought he needed to apologize for some reason. “It’s okay, we’ll figure it out later.” He took off his coat and draped it over the boy’s shoulders, gently easing him to the ground so he could sit propped against the wall. “Just try to focus on something else.”

Kukui was torn between trying to ease his pain and trying to make sure that Dragagle couldn’t hit them with an attack. Thankfully, the angle they were hiding at seemed to offer enough protection. It wouldn’t last long, though, as each attack withered away the cave wall little by little.

Ash sucked in a breath, trying to compose himself. “Professor, you should take the toy and go ahead.”

“What? Why?”

“You said we didn’t have a lot of time to escape and someone has to take the toys to Mt. Lanakila.” Ash tried to explain, hoping it was enough.

Kukui gave him a stunned look. “What’s gotten into you? I’m not leaving you here.”

“There isn’t time to battle Dragagle and it won’t bother _you_ if you try to leave!” Ash didn’t know how to make Kukui understand that being around him was the problem right now.

Kukui crossed his arms, giving the kid a stern look. “How am I supposed to get by? You’re not in any condition to distract-“

“You need to go now!”

“Ash! Enough!”

“They’re after _me_!”

Kukui was taken aback by the desperate cry. He thought back over the last couple days, trying to comprehend what would cause Ash to think that. But the more he remembered, the more he realized the kid might be right.

But he still wasn’t going to leave him behind! Why would he think Kukui would ever do something like that?

Kukui drew in a deep breath, trying to speak slowly and calmly, hoping to ease everyone’s nerves, “Okay, we will talk about it once we’re out of here. But I am not _leaving you here._ We have time and I will handle Dragagle.” He paused just a second, letting the kid soak it in, “Will you stay here and wait?” Ash hesitated just a moment, so Kukui amended his request. “If I need help, I’ll call for you. So will you wait here?”

Ash finally relented, “Okay, I’ll wait here.”

“Thank you. This will only take a minute.” Kukui didn’t hesitate before rounding the corner and calling out Incineroar, the Pokémon attacking as soon as it was released. He needed this done and he needed it done fast, so there was only one Pokémon for the job.

The Dragagle had an advantage in the water, and a type advantage overall, but Incineroar was stronger and more equipped in battle. Kukui had to rely on dodging and defensive strategy more than he normally would like, but he was willing to do anything to win.

Kukui was a little more distracted than he liked, constantly checking over his shoulder at the passageway. He was worried that Ash would try to help, but every time he turned and didn’t see the boy, he was worried that he _wasn’t_ trying to help.

A shout from Incineroar alerted him to an oncoming attack and he jumped out of the way, barely missing being crushed by some of the cave ceiling falling down.

This was taking too long. The water was rising too fast, and it had already soaked through his shoes. He couldn’t use their Z-move again yet, but he figured they’d worn the Dragagle down enough that one last direct hit should finish it.

“Incineroar, Darkest Lariat!”

Incineroar dodged an oncoming attack, charging up its own and landing a powerful blow to their assailant.

The Dragagle retreated into the depths of the water whimpering and tail tucked.

Kukui didn’t take the time to relish their success, recalling Incineroar with a curt thank you and returning to the passage. The water reached his ankles now, and wading through the water was only going to get more difficult as the tide got higher. Kukui was starting to sweat, knowing the exit from the cave was at a lower elevation than they were now and may be pretty full by this point.

He needed to get them out now.

He found Ash right where he left him, still curled in on himself shivering uncontrollably. Kukui knelt next to him, a small splash of water kicking up as his knee hit the ground. He placed a hand on Ash’s forehead, worried the kid might have a fever. But instead, he was icy cold to the touch. “Ash, you’re freezing!”

Ash just nodded, not having the energy to form a proper response.

“Pika…” Pikachu gave Kukui a worried look, trying to get the older man to do something to help its trainer.

“Right. C’mon, we gotta get going. I’ll carry you.” He started trying to pick Ash up, but his shoulder and the kid both resisted.

“I’m fine, I can walk.” Ash responded, not bitterly but reassuringly. He grabbed onto Kukui’s outstretched hand, avoiding the arm with the injured shoulder.

“I’d feel better if you let me carry you,” Kukui tried to reason. Normally that did the trick, but it didn’t look like Ash was falling for it this time.

Ash shook his head, starting to trudge forward in the water. Truth be told, he actually felt a lot better than he did minutes ago. The cold seemed to thaw away as soon as Kukui returned, so there was no reason for the professor to exert himself.

They made quick work of the last stretch of the passage, the rising water only slowing them down a smidge. It was high enough that Pikachu could no longer run with them and instead used Ash as a taxi.

The entrance soon came into view and Kukui swore.

It was completely filled.

Next to him, Ash stood stock still. “Professor…”

Kukui’s first thought was to use Empoleon, but his Pokémon might just attract the wild ones and cause more problems than they needed right now. He knew they’d need to swim it instead.

Kukui was doing fast math, trying to remember how long the entrance extended and how far below sea level they were and how fast the two of them could swim.

They could make it. They _had_ to make it.

He turned to Ash, examining the boy’s level of exhaustion. “How long can you hold your breath?”

“Huh?”

“Show me.”

Ash didn’t need to be told twice, sucking in a deep breath and holding it for as long as he possibly could. He didn’t even need to reach his max, Kukui nodding his head after a while and giving him the okay.

“Alright, we’re going to need to swim out. What about Pikachu?”

“Chu!”

“Pikachu can hold its breath just as long as me, maybe longer. But…” Ash looked at his partner, briefly considering returning the Pokémon to its ball. He knew Pikachu would never go for it, but the thought was tempting.

Pikachu gave Ash a very knowing glare. Any time things got rough, Ash wanted Pikachu to go in its ball. The Pokémon knew he only wanted him to be safe, but then who would protect Ash.

Ash conceded, running a hand over his face in frustration. “Fine, you win, buddy.”

Kukui wasn’t quite sure what just happened but he didn’t have the time to dissect it. “We’ll wade as far as we can, then once we dive down, you need to stay close to me. You ready?”

“Mhmm.”

“Okay.”

The two waded into the water, Pikachu on top of Ash’s head, eyeing the pool nervously. When they could go no further, Kukui looked Ash in the eye, took a deep breath, and plunged into the cold depths.

When he opened his eyes, he saw Ash and Pikachu had followed him without hesitation. He motioned forward and the three of them took off swimming for the exit.

They moved fast through the water, Kukui ignoring his aching shoulder and Ash ignoring his exhaustion. They made great time, with no hiccups up to the halfway point. Kukui was confident they’d make it out with plenty of time to spare.

Kukui should’ve known better than to be so cocky.

A cry from behind him caused Kukui to startle, and he nearly sucked in a fatal breath.

He turned to see Ash caught in a Tentacruel’s grasp, struggling against the restraint but not holding a candle’s flame to the strength the Pokémon had in the water.

The Pokémon had that same possessed look in its eyes that the others had, and Kukui knew this wasn’t going to be good. It kept constricting tighter and tighter, and it probably wouldn’t be long before it started leeching venom into Ash’s body. Kukui knew they needed to get out of the cave fast, none of them could hold their breath much longer, but he couldn’t leave Ash behind.

He watched as Ash’s face twisted in pain and he half-heartedly clawed at the tentacles wrapped around him. Pikachu desperately tried to free it’s trainer, gnawing away at the assailant. But it couldn’t use an electric attack, or else they’d all be hurt.

Kukui reached for his belt, summoning Empoleon in the blink of an eye. He wouldn’t be able to give any verbal commands like this, but he and Empoleon had always been in sync. It knew instantly what to do and charged at the Tentacruel with an Aqua Jet. The attack landed and Tentacruel released its hold on Ash, being dragged into a battle instead.

Kukui’s stomach dropped as he watched Ash limply start to sink towards the bottom of the cave. Ignoring the panic growing in the back of his mind, he looped an arm around the boy’s chest and made for the surface, Pikachu holding on to its trainer.

He should have been watching the time more closely, then the tide wouldn’t have come in and trapped them. Or he should have just used Empoleon in the first place. But now wasn’t the time to worry about that, he needed to get them out of there before any more possessed Pokémon came and attacked. And if he could get them to the surface before they ran out of air, that’d be good too.

An attack from Empoleon missed its mark and hit the cave wall next to the boys, sending a rush of rock and water in front of them. Kukui felt himself start to struggle, and it didn’t seem like he wasn’t going to make it. The surface was still so far and his vision was starting to blacken around the edges. Thankfully, Empoleon finished up with the Tentacruel and offered itself as a speedy escape from the water. Professor Kukui grabbed on tight and Empoleon launched the boys out of the cave Quick Attack fast.

They landed with a thud on the wet, rocky coast, Kukui using himself to soften the impact for the boy. He swallowed in deep breaths, choking on the cold air a few times as ice snaked its way into his lungs. He expected Ash to be doing the same, but the boy was suspiciously quiet.

“Ash-“ Kukui rolled the boy off him and quickly realized he was very much not okay. He took in the blue hue of his skin, the laxness of his face, and the overall terrifying stillness. “No no, _c’mon_ …”

He’d hoped they’d gotten out of there fast enough, but Kukui realized with sickening dread that Ash wasn’t breathing. He pressed two fingers to the boy’s neck, trying to feel for a pulse. He wasn’t sure if he just couldn’t feel anything because his hands were numb from the cold (or perhaps the fear), or if there was nothing to feel, but Kukui knew he was losing the battle with himself to stay calm and he needed to focus. There wasn’t any time to be panicking if he was going to be of some use for once.

Kukui began ripping off layers from the boy, unzipping his many coats and stripping him down to just his undershirt. He knelt next to Ash, pressing his ear against his chest, listening for any sign of life. Anything at all to let Kukui know he hadn’t completely fucked up. Seconds rolled by and the only thing he could hear was the crash of waves against the coast, icy rain pitter pattering on the ground, and his own breath catching on a sob.

Kukui quickly started resuscitating the boy, breathing for him and trying to get his heart beating.

“Pikachu…” To the side, Pikachu whimpered as it watched its trainer fighting for his life. Pikachu looked like it desperately wanted to help, but Kukui knew that its electricity was too uncontrolled and powerful to reliably help in this situation. He’d have to handle this himself.

Kukui went back and forth from breaths to compressions, working up a sweat despite the frigid air. “Don’t do this to me, Ash,” He begged, feeling his grip on composure fading. “You- you can’t leave me. Not now, not like this.” He had to reel himself in, afraid that if he lost focus he’d hurt the boy even worse.

He should have seen some sign of life from the kid by now but he hadn’t so much as twitched.

Kukui realized he was getting tired. His arms were shaking from exertion, his knees and back ached, and now he could barely catch his own breath.

Stopping wasn’t an option.

An eternity later, just as Kukui started the cycle again, he felt the slightest of shudder under his palms and before he could even react-

-Ash jerked to life under his hands, coughing up sea water and choking on the frigid air. Kukui rolled him on his side, gently rubbing his back in a comforting motion. “Shhh, it’s alright. You’re okay now. You’re okay…” Was he saying that for Ash’s benefit, or for his own? Kukui couldn’t be quite sure, but it didn’t matter anyways. He just kept murmuring soothing words.

After a few minutes, Ash calmed down enough turn to Kukui, eyes barely open and watery, meeting the older man’s own. He looked so weak and tired, and he used whatever strength he had to mutter, “Kukui…”

Kukui felt every part of himself shatter and pulled the boy into his chest. “God, I’m sorry Ash. I thought I’d lost you. I’m so _sorry_.”

Ash leaned into the embrace, and Kukui could feel him shaking. From the cold or the situation though, he didn’t know. He hugged him closer all the same, smoothing his hand over the boy’s hair, desperate to provide some peace and warmth.

Ash’s voice was hoarse, and his throat burned with every breath. But he was too afraid to sit there in silence, “What happened?”

Kukui somehow managed to hug him tighter, because the only thing he knew for certain was if he never let Ash go again, he’d never get hurt. “You got attacked by a Tentacruel and…” Keep it together Kukui, you need to be the strong one here, “and you must’ve breathed in some water. You… you were…” He couldn’t finish the sentence. Instead, “You may feel a little sore.”

“Oh." Ash was surprised by how unsurprised he was. At least it had been a boring way he’d almost died. Nothing new there. “Are you okay? And Pikachu?”

Pikachu decided now was a good time to crawl in between the two boys and nuzzle up to its trainer, having also been scared by the situation.

Kukui sat there, desperately trying to hold back the sobs that threatened to wrack his body. His mind kept playing the terrifying last few minutes over and over and over again. Kukui’s eyes burned with unshed tears, and the lump in his throat just couldn’t be swallowed. He wanted, _needed_ to be the composed one, but it was so hard. Every time he closed his eyes, even just a blink, he saw Ash’s lifeless body lain out before him. If he let his mind wander too far, he was afraid it might become reality.

Ash shifted in Kukui’s embrace, snuggling in closer to the man for warmth. And Kukui grounded himself with that one small act. He took stock of how Ash felt right now. He was cold and wet, but still gave off that warmth every living creature had. He could feel Ash’s breaths, steady and regular. He could smell the sea water in his hair, and felt its softness brushing against his chin. He felt the boy’s smaller hands clutching at the fabric on his back, probably also trying to ground himself in the moment.

Ash was alive, and that’s what mattered.

Kukui gave a wet chuckle, hoping Ash couldn’t tell it was mostly a sob. “I’m fine. We’re all okay.” He leaned back just enough to meet Ash’s eyes and give him a reassuring smile. “Let’s get somewhere warm.”

Kukui maneuvered Ash onto his back, holding his legs tight as Ash only had the strength to loosely throw his arms around his neck. Pikachu climbed up on Ash’s shoulder to take advantage of the human taxi, and Kukui didn’t really mind the extra weight knowing Ash would feel better with his partner right there. Even if his shoulder was screaming.

Kukui had thought Ash might’ve been able to stay awake until he got them to shelter, but the boy was out in a matter of seconds.

The trek was short but rough, icy rain blowing near sideways and creating a mud slick along the road. Thankfully, their destination wasn’t far from the coast.

Kukui jogged the last few steps to the only house in the area and pounded hard on the door, struggling to hold Ash with just the one hand. He wasn’t even sure anyone was home, but this was his best bet to get them out of the rain. Waiting probably less than the socially acceptable amount of time, Kukui beat on the door once more.

A second passed and just as he was about to try a third time, some grumbling came from inside the house. A muffled _“give me a minute”_ and the sound of a lock undoing were preamble to none other than Island Kahuna Nanu throwing open the door with a glare.

Make that Ula’ula Island Kahuna Nanu.

“Nanu! What are you doing here?” Kukui definitely didn’t hide the shocked look on his face. Nanu should be on Ula’ula helping that island’s residents. This wasn’t the time for him to be playing hooky.

“Don’t give me that look. I know what yer thinking and no, I’m not just slackin’ off.”

Kukui gave him a skeptical glance.

Nanu scoffed and crossed his arms. “I’ve got half a mind to shut the door on ya’, but that kid on your back looks like he’s gonna kill over any second. Get in here before you both freeze.”

Kukui knew Nanu would never turn away someone who really genuinely needed help, but he was still grateful. And still quite a bit confused. Standing in the entry dripping puddles of water onto the floor, he piped up, “Where’s Hapu? Is she okay?”

“Oh she’s just fine: down in Seafolk helping out at the Pokémon center actually. Acerola sent me here to check on her, worrying up a storm since Hapu’s all by herself up here. You know how close those girls are. I tried to tell her I couldn’t leave Ula’ula, but she wouldn’t take no for an answer. You know how kids can be.”

Kukui gave him a nod and a grimace, knowing all too well that sentiment.

“Anyways, I get my soggy ass here and the girl is half a foot out the door saying _“I’ve got work to do! Stop bothering me and go back to Ula’ula!”_. Pah! I’ve been waiting for a boat to take me back since.”

“I doubt a boat’s coming around any time soon. The weather just keeps getting worse.”

Nanu hummed in agreement. In the light of the house, he finally took in the condition of the strays he’d allowed in. “What the hell happened to you two?”

Kukui shifted the weight on his back and grimaced from the pain. “Help me with Ash first. Can you bring some towels?”

“I’ll get ‘em. Take him to the living room, I’ve got a fire going.”

Kukui’d barely made it into the next room before Nanu had reappeared with more towels than he should’ve been able to carry. He helped Kukui get Ash settled in front of the flames, and as the Professor began removing the boy’s wet shoes and jacket, he told Nanu everything that had happened.

Nanu just stared, expression unwavering. From the sound of it, things were a lot worse than he’d realized, especially if these two were out there trying to solve this problem with only a legend to go off of.

“-I just hope he’s not in any pain. I don’t know what’s with all these wild Pokémon but Tentacruel don’t normally attack people like that. It’s just been a long few days…”

“He looks like he’ll be fine. That kid’s a strong one.”

Kukui nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat. Strong or not, he shouldn’t have put them in a situation like that. And the kid could only take so much of a beating.

“Tell me, Professor, why did you bring him along? You must’ve known how dangerous this would be, and yet you still allowed a child to accompany you.”

Kukui didn’t know how Nanu had such a knack for getting people riled up, but he did know that Nanu only asked these tough questions to help the person realize something they hadn’t before. It was just like Ash’s grand trial with the Kahuna.

Still, Kukui had a rough time keeping his temper in check. “It’s not like I asked him! I told him to stay home but he followed me anyways. I told him to wait at the Pokémon center but he didn’t. I told him to wait for me to get Tapu Fini’s trinket but he went ahead of me! I told him it was dangerous! I told him he could get hurt! I told him I didn’t want him to come! But he wouldn’t _listen!_ ”

Nanu was kind enough not to point out how Kukui’s voice cracked at the end, or how he’d long since dried enough that the wetness dripping off his chin wasn’t from the rain.

_‘I told him I didn’t want his help.’_

Kukui sucked in a breath, covering his eyes with one hand and letting the other rest limply on Ash’s chest. “Sure, I told him all that… But I didn’t do anything more to stop him. Because I knew I’d need his help.” Kukui let out a mocking laugh. “Isn’t that pathetic? Some trainer I am, needing help from a child.”

Kukui hadn’t heard Nanu get up and walk over to him, and only realized the man was right there when his hand landed on Kukui’s shoulder.

The simple act of comfort from someone who could be so cold broke him.

“What kind of father puts their kid in danger like that?”

Nanu sighed, giving Kukui’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. “I think the kind of father that raised his son to be strong and dependable. The kind of father that knows that if anyone could handle this, it’s his boy.”

Kukui shook his head, “I’m not the one who raised him though.”

“After all this time, do you really think you haven’t made any impact on him at all? He looks up to you, and he wants to be someone people can go to for help, just like you.”

Kukui swallowed the lump in his throat, giving a quick bob of his head.

Nanu started to walk away, but he left Kukui with one last thought. “Make sure you’re the kind of person you’d want Ash to look up to.”

…

Morning came far too quickly for Kukui’s liking, his mind and body craving far more rest than he had gotten.

Truth be told, he spent most of the night dozing on and off, afraid that if he slept too deeply then he wouldn’t notice if Ash took a turn for the worse. He’d only finally agreed to actually try sleeping on the other couch after Nanu threatened to sick his many Meowth on Kukui if he didn’t. Regardless, after a night of fitful, restless sleep, Kukui woke the next morning as rested as he could be in this situation.

Only once during the night did he have a real scare, and that was when Ash started shivering uncontrollably and his temperature seemed to plummet. Kukui hadn’t known what to do, or what could have even caused that, but he managed to round up every blanket in the house and pile them on the kid. After that, it ended just about as soon as it started and Ash hadn’t even woken up during the ordeal. (Kukui, on the other hand, couldn’t sleep after, not that it mattered.)

_“It’s just… cold?”_

Ash’s words from the day before kept playing over and over in Kukui’s mind. He hadn’t the foggiest idea what could be wrong with his kid, so he was set on getting him to a real doctor just as soon as this weather fiasco was over.

Unfortunately, he also had one really _really_ bad plan to execute beforehand.

Kukui made his way back to the living room with a plate of food in one hand and a bowl of poke chow in the other, just as Ash and Pikachu started to stir.

The boy in question slowly came to, rubbing at his eyes furiously and letting out a ferocious yawn. Much to Kukui’s concern, he wasn’t trying to sit up at all. Pikachu, in stark contrast, jumped up faster than Kukui had ever seen and dove straight into the chow.

Kukui set the food for Ash down on the coffee table and sat on the edge of the couch, causing the old raggedy sofa to dip with his weight. “Morning, kiddo. How do you feel?” He placed his hand on Ash’s forehead, feeling for any unusual warmth, or coolness.

Ash cleared the disuse from his voice, stretching and popping his joints. “I’m- _cough-_ I’m fine. I feel much better today.”

Kukui nodded, satisfied with what seemed to be an honest answer. “Good, you had me worried for a while. You were asleep for some time.” Ash finally started trying to sit up, struggling to push himself past his elbows. Kukui helped him the rest of the way, pushing himself close to the boy in an act of comfort. “Are you hurting anywhere at all?”

“My chest hurts a little, but other than that I’m okay.”

Kukui knew that was his doing, but he wouldn’t let himself feel guilty for saving Ash’s life. There were other, far better things to feel guilty over.

He handed the kid a stack of clean clothes, just the under layers for now. They’d be adding quite a few more layers later in the morning, but there wasn’t any need for them at the moment. “Get changed and eat something, I’ll be right back.”

Ash took the pile diligently and nodded, staring wide-eyed at the plate of food. Kukui huffed out a small laugh as he went back to the kitchen, at least the kid still had his appetite.

Kukui went to the kitchen mostly to compose himself. It was finally time they had their talk, but he didn’t exactly know what all to say. He briefly wondered how Hala had handled these situations while Kukui was his student, but that also reminded him that he needed to find out what happened to Hala and how Ash had ended up here at all. Resolve returning, Kukui headed back towards the living to get it all on the table.

His composure cracked at the sight that greeted his return.

Kukui stared slack jawed at Ash, who was finishing getting his new shirt on. The kid had quickly scrambled to pull the fabric down once he realized Kukui was standing in front of him, but it was too late.

Kukui saw it.

He couldn’t form any words, his mouth had suddenly dried up and his head was empty. The only thing he could think about was the bright blue and white webbing that scarred and mottled Ash’s chest, emanating from what had been a tiny scratch a few days ago but had evolved into a pulsing white wound.

It looked like something from a horror film.

Ash hugged his arms over his chest, trying to block the wound from sight even though it was already concealed by his shirt. He wouldn’t meet Kukui’s gaze, even though Kukui couldn’t look away.

It looked so _painful_.

Kukui broke first, fear starting to replace stupor. “Ash-“ His voice cracked and he swallowed hard, trying to keep it together, “What is _that_?”

Ash glanced up for just a split second, but then folded in on himself even tighter. He didn’t want to talk about it. He didn’t want to _think_ about it.

And Kukui could tell. But if this has been what’s causing Ash’s illness, he needed to know more. “Does it hurt?” A small nod, “Is this what’s been making you sick?” Another nod. “How long has it been like that?”

He hesitated, knowing Kukui only wanted to help even if Ash just didn’t want to acknowledge the problem. But now it was time for him to accept he needed the Professor’s help. “It’s been getting worse… with the weather.”

Kukui let out the longest sigh, plopping onto the couch and sinking into the old, soft cushions. Time to get everything out on the table. He pat the seat next to him, and Ash followed suit. Kukui didn’t care about the disobedience, the running away, the not following orders. None of that mattered anymore.

“We need to talk, kid.”

And god he wanted to take the words right back from the look on Ash’s face.

“Not in a bad way! I just…”

Kukui was suddenly at a loss for words, the toll of the last few days weighing heavily on his mind and clouding his thoughts. The only thing he knew he wanted to say was:

“I’m sorry.”

A moment’s pause, Ash staring up at him wide-eyed and confused. “You… you’re sorry?”

Kukui sucked in a breath, trying to force out all his anxieties. Meeting Ash’s questioning look, “I am. I’m sorry for what I said to you the other day. I’m sorry for keeping things from you, for not trusting you, and for not keeping you safe.”

“Professor, I don’t understand.”

Kukui gave him a sad smile, wringing his hands on his lap (a nervous tick he hadn’t done in quite some time). “I should have told you from the beginning what my plan was, and I should’ve trusted your abilities enough to let you help. The fact is, I wouldn’t have gotten a single one of those trinkets without you.”

Another deep breath, “And obviously, I did a piss poor job of keeping you safe.” Kukui let out a bitter laugh, punctuating the sentence. “Really though, that is _the_ most important thing to me, and I failed. I’m so sorry, Ash.”

Ash finally found the words to intervene, “Professor, nothing that’s happened is your fault.”

“Maybe not, but it still feels like it. When I thought I’d lost you yesterday, I was beside myself. I’ve never felt so helpless, and I honestly don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t come back. And you must’ve been scared, too.” Kukui nearly choked on the last word, but composed himself quickly. “I’m sorry, and I’ll do better.”

Ash scooched closer to the professor, leaning into his side for warmth. “It’s okay, I’m fine now.”

“Right.” Kukui let out a huff of air, putting his arm around the boy and pulling him into an embrace. “You’re here, and you’re okay.”

Now hold on a minute, that wasn’t entirely true. But Kukui would get back to the in a moment.

“There’s one last thing. What I said the other day, it was completely uncalled for and not at all true. I was mad at myself for needing help and I took my anger out on you. Truth be told, if you hadn’t been there I may not have made it out alive. Not from Ten Carat Hill or Wela Volcano Park.”

“But you were right, Professor. If I hadn’t been there or if I’d been a better trainer, you wouldn’t have gotten hurt! I wasn’t any help at all! It was my fau-“

“It. Was. Not.”

“But-“

Kukui turned himself so he could look Ash straight in the eyes. “No, Ash. It was not your fault. It wasn’t anyone’s fault at all; just a bit of bad luck.” Ash looked like he wanted to interrupt, so Kukui beat him to the punch. “And I will never, _never_ regret keeping you safe. I’d take a thousand attacks from the Tapu Pokémon if it would save you an ounce of pain. Understand?”

Ash couldn’t swallow, his mouth dry and his thoughts racing. No, in fact he did _not_ understand. Barely even a whisper, he asked, “Why do you care so much?”

Kukui didn’t want to cross any lines but the fact that Ash seemed so thrown off by something as small as a little concern on his behalf just made the Professor’s blood boil. He didn’t know a damn thing about Ash’s father except that the man wasn’t around, so Ash had never had a steady father figure in his life. Never had someone who could teach him all the things a father should. Kukui hoped he could change that, even a little.

“Of course I care, Ash. You’re my-“

“Ahem.”

Ah, Nanu, what wonderful timing.

Nanu, who was standing in the threshold looking utterly unimpressed by this display of emotions, finally decided he’d had enough and cut them off. “Not to interrupt, but if you two have a plan for fixing this weather you’d better get to it.”

Kukui got up and peeked out the window, blanching at the sight of icy accumulation. He hadn’t realized it’d started snowing there too. And if it was snowing on Poni Island, that means the storm had spread all across Alola.

God, it had been days since it started snowing on Melemele. Can you imagine how high the snow must be by now?

Right, time to end this.

“Alright, I’ve got a plan. And as much as every single last fiber of my being is telling me this is a bad idea-“He met Ash’s gaze, trying not to lose resolve, “I was wondering if you would come with me to Ula’ula.”

Ash looked incredulous. _“Me_?”

“Yes _you_. If you don’t feel up to it, that’s totally okay. I don’t want you to push yourself, especially with that wound. But if I’d told you to stay and you wanted to come, would you have followed me anyways?”

And the kid didn’t even try to hide his shit eating grin.

“That’s what I thought. This way, I can set some ground rules and we can go in with a real plan.”

“Alright!” Suddenly spring to life, Ash cheered and jumped up off the couch.

…only to be brought right back down.

Ash’s lungs seized and he couldn’t draw in a breath. It felt like something had wrapped itself all around his chest, but it wasn’t like a constrict attack, or like that Tentacruel. It was like a block of ice had settled right at his core, icy pain lacing through every single nerve.

Though his sight had blacked out, he saw the visions of ice consuming everything. People and Pokémon were frozen into blocks of ice, all of the land had been covered in a blanket of snow, and dark storm clouds permanently covered the sky, blocking nearly all light. A shrill, terrifying, un-worldly cry rung in his ears. It was both a calling and a threat.

After what felt like an eternity, the ice began to melt away and the pain faded with it. Ash realized his ears were ringing, because he could see the Professor and Kahuna talking, but couldn’t hear a word they were saying. He shook his head, clearing away the fuzziness.

“-doctor on the island? Anyone at all?”

“If there is, they’d be at the triage site. I’ll call Nurse Joy and see, but he probably needs the hospital at this point.”

“I know that! But we can’t get-“

Ash finally found the energy to butt in. “I’m okay, Professor!”

Kukui snapped his attention to the boy, concern plastered all over his face. “You are _not_! You’re sick from that cut! It could be infected or you could be having a reaction to something or-“

“Professor!” Ash wanted to tell the Professor so badly, but what if he didn’t believe him? Ash hardly believed it himself.

Kukui could tell Ash was hiding something. “You know what’s wrong, don’t you.”

Ash nodded numbly, trying to find the right words.

“You know that story you told us about Froslass? The one with the couple on Mt. Lanakila? Well, I don’t think it was just a silly legend after all…”

Ash told Kukui about the dreams, about the cold, about the icicle that shattered and struck him a few days ago. He told him about the pain and the anxieties, how he just _knew_ Froslass was controlling those Pokémon that kept attacking them. He told him he could hear Froslass’s cries, how he could feel its icy pull. He told him everything, feeling more and more ridiculous with every word. And yet, he’d experienced these situations so many times in the past that it just had to be considered normal by now.

Kukui listened intently, absorbing all the information being thrown at him.

And suddenly, everything started to connect.

_-he found the boy and all his Pokémon bundled on the couch under every blanket they could find-_

_-thought he could see the kid’s breath, but it wasn’t nearly cold enough in the cave-_

_-his hand felt like it had been burnt. But when he felt it with his other hand, it was icy cold to the touch-_

_-Except it looked like he was… shivering?-_

_“It’s just… cold?”_

It all made sense now. Sure, that story he’d told the kids may just have been a silly legend. But sometimes legends were true, after all.

And all those Pokémon hadn’t been trying to stop them from getting the trinkets. They’d been trying to get Ash, trying to capture him and bring him to Mt. Lanakila so Froslass could have his heart.

This Froslass must be something powerful if it had such a widespread control over the all the islands’ Pokémon, let alone create a storm like this.

Kukui plopped back down onto the couch next to Ash, overwhelmed with the discovery. The kid was clearly in pain from this, but he had no idea what to do. And he didn’t know how fast it was progressing, or what to expect as it got worse. He heaved a deep sigh, the weight of the last few days causing his shoulders to droop.

“I kinda wish you’d told me sooner.”

Ash just stared straight ahead, one hand absentmindedly petting Pikachu, the other resting on his chest. “I know. But I was afraid you wouldn’t believe me.”

Why didn’t Ash trust him enough to tell him when he was hurt? Then again, Kukui hadn’t trusted the kid to help in the first place, so he didn’t have any room to talk.

“I believe you, Ash. Hell, just a few years ago I heard about an incident in The Orange Islands where some guy teamed up with the legendary Pokémon Lugia to stop a climatic disaster. It was all over the news! I mean, before that the story of the Beast of the Sea and the Titans of Fire, Ice, and Lightning had just been a crazy legend. But that turned out to be true, and so many other events like that have happened too. It wouldn’t surprise me if Alola had a silly legend that was actually real.

“I’m just worried, is all. If Froslass can cause a storm like this, it might be too strong for us to battle.”

When he turned to look at Ash, he saw that the color had completely drained from him face. Kukui thought he must be pretty frightened of this Froslass.

Ash swallowed, trying to rid the dryness from his mouth, the terrible memories from his mind. “We can handle it. If we do it together.” He wouldn’t let anything happen to Alola or the Professor.

Kukui was pretty sure he was going to regret this, but his way hadn’t worked yet. There really was only way to fix this.

“Together.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author fun facts, as promised;
> 
> I am a mechanical engineer for a consulting firm in Cbus OH! Which explains why I am very bad at describing things and making the words coherent! We tried to avoid words at all costs by nature. But engineering is fun and I just graduated from school a year ago, so if any young aspiring engineers out there want some advice hmu!
> 
> I'm baking a birthday cake tomorrow morning! Completely irrelevant but it's one of my more fun facts.
> 
> I have a dog and a cat! They're both amazing, even if they make terrible coworkers (That WFH feel, amirite??)
> 
> Also! I sometimes paint my old pokemon cards! If you'd like to see them, check out my insta @curtisscards (Yes I know I haven't posted in a while, it's construction season.) If you check it out leave me a comment on your fave card or hit up those DMs and I'll try to do something special!
> 
> I don't have many fun facts, but this is where I'm leaving you all. Next Monday, we will finally see if the author can actually wrap up this train wreck! Stay tuned!


	5. The Blinding One's Blessing

Following their heart to heart, Kukui and Ash spent the rest of the morning getting ready for the last leg of their journey. For Kukui, that meant packing supplies and making sure they’d have everything they’d need on Mount Lanakila.

For Ash, that meant being forced to sleep the rest of the morning. Kukui had insisted the boy needed as much rest and time to recover as possible, since this wasn’t going to be an easy trip. Ash complied, though not without complaint. But he did fall asleep within seconds of laying back down, so Kukui knew he’d made the right call.

After a few hours, just as morning started to wane, the boys were ready to go. _Almost._

“Professor, how are we s’posed to get to Ula’ula? Nurse Joy told me yesterday the boats weren’t gonna run anymore.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got our ride already sorted,” Kukui assured, though he wasn’t certain himself that he’d find his ride where he’d left it the day before. He finished putting on his last of several hundred layers, then checking to see that Ash had done the same. Satisfied with the bulk of clothing surrounding the boy, Kukui grabbed his bag and headed for the door. “Let’s get going.”

Though the snow had piled up over night and the wind was pretty harsh, the boys made good time getting to town, with no interference from any Pokémon, possessed or otherwise.

As the harbor came into view, Kukui breathed a sigh of relief when the world’s tackiest tourist boat met his vision. As he pointed to the boat, he could hear Ash mutter “oh you gotta be kidding me” and he had to stifle a laugh. Poor kid was as sick of those three as anyone else, if not more so.

Coming up to the ship, Kukui gave the side a stiff kick to awaken its crew. “Alola, Team Rocket. Get up, we need to get to Ula’ula.”

The trio, huddled in a shivering ball under the canopy, barely moved from their spot to give the intruders a glare. They wore the thinnest coats imaginable and had one sad throw to their name. If this was a cartoon, they’d have icicles hanging from their noses.

“We’re closed for business. Come back after hibernation season,” Meowth answered, barely peeking out from under the blanket.

Kukui, not phased at all, gave a hearty laugh in response. “I don’t think we need to have another discussion like yesterday, do we?” The three tensed up, eyes clouding with fearful memories, shaking their heads vigorously. “Good, then let’s get a move on. We’re burning daylight!”

The trio got the boat sailing in record time, with Kukui and Ash hunkered down at the rear. The sea was significantly worse than the previous day, and a thin sheet of ice covered the surface. Thankfully, even the cheaply constructed boat they were on could break through it with ease. But still, for the sea to be frozen over like this was not a good sign.

Kukui didn’t feel like making small talk with the crooks this time around, instead focusing all his attention on the plan of action for the rest of the day. He knew they’d need to get Tapu Bulu’s trinket, stop Froslass’s storm, get Necrozma to heal the land, and break the curse on Ash.

They’d decided on breaking the curse on Ash first. Or Kukui had decided, Ash had argued, and Kukui had threatened to rescind his offer for Ash to tag along. So they were going to try breaking the curse first. Which meant they needed to go to the summit. According to the legend, that’s where the woman had been abandoned so that’s where Froslass should be now. Kukui only hoped it would be easy to free Ash.

Speaking of…

The professor noticed Ash tensing beside him, and he watched as pain etched its way onto the boy’s features. He sucked in a breath through clenched teeth, trying to keep the pain at bay. He hugged his arms to his chest, hoping to keep in some warmth as his body threatened to freeze from inside out.

Kukui wished he could do something, anything to help Ash, but all he could do was throw an arm around his shoulders and pull him in close, offering some of his own warmth to help.

Ash gave him a smile through chattering teeth, but he clearly still felt the effects of the curse.

Though no words had been spoken, Team Rocket had taken notice to what was unfolding. They shared a look with one another, a silent agreement amongst teammates.

Jessie stood suddenly, stomping her foot loudly. “I heard there’s a city on Ula’ula that’s got the trendiest shops! They’ve got the cutest clothing and accessories that are all the rage!” Jessie stated, loud and dramatic. She made a show of looking at her coat and being wrought with disgust. “I can’t show up wearing this! I’ll be a laughingstock!” Removing her jacket in a flash and giving it a disapproving frown, “it just won’t do!” she cried.

Kukui watched in shock as Jessie tossed her jacket onto Ash’s lap, waving it away in displeasure. “It’s definitely more of a twerpy style, so you should wear it. I’m _far_ too fashionable to be caught dead in it.”

Ash stared at her, expression locked in a gape.

Meowth, following suit, threw the blanket he’d been using at the boy’s feet. “I can’t have those uptight Alolan Meowth thinking I’m some weak Kanto cat!”

James, not really needing or wanting to put on the same show as the others, just took his coat and draped it over Ash’s shoulders, pulling it tight around the kid’s frame. “You need this more than I do.”

Ash was at a loss for words, the ice in his chest completely forgotten about for the time being. He suddenly found himself feeling quite warm.

Kukui also was shocked into silence, though he did manage to throw a small smile in James’ direction and mouthed a quiet “thank you”.

So maybe those three weren’t all that bad.

…

The icy wind blew straight through Kukui, causing his body to wrack with shivers. His millions of layers were doing absolutely nothing to stave off the cold. Arceus, he couldn’t even see a foot in front of his face. The snow and sleet were coming down like a wall, inches of accumulation piling up by the minute. His steps forward were careful and slow. One wrong move and he’d fall straight off the side of the mountain and into an icy doom.

He stopped suddenly when the snow under his foot gave way, throwing a hand out behind him.

Thankfully, it only took a moment for Ash to bump into him. That meant the kid was sticking right behind him like he’d asked.

“What is it, Professor?” Ash asked. He had to shout over the roar of the blizzard.

Kukui shuffled a couple of steps to the right, keeping his hand on Ash’s jacket. After testing the snow in front of him and finding solid ground, he gave a little tug. “Careful right here! The snow’s loose!” He watched Ash start to take a step in the wrong direction and pulled him back. “Watch your step!”

Ash gave him an apologetic look and clung to the back of his coat, following each of his footsteps exactly. He couldn’t remember the last time he was in a blizzard this bad, if he was ever in one at all. The closest may have been that blizzard he’d been caught in with Brock and Misty way back when, but even that wasn’t close. The professor had really dressed him to the nines in winter garb, which had been quite the feat considering this mountain was literally the only place in the region that required anything more than a loose shirt and shorts.

Pikachu was nestled inside Ash’s jacket, its eyes and ears just barely peeking out to watch the two boys trek up the mountain. It quickly realized that there was nothing to be seen beyond a curtain of snow and snuggled back up in its little jacket-nest, seemingly unbothered by the less than ideal situation.

Ash wanted to ask the professor if they were close to the summit, but he didn’t think he could muster up the energy to shout over the storm. Besides, he was too caught up in his thoughts about Froslass. Ash had a hard time believing a Pokémon could really do this much damage without cause or being influenced in some way. But it seemed that really was the case this time around.

In all his travels, Ash had never met a Pokémon that genuinely went out of its way to wreak havoc just for wreaking havoc’s sake. It wounded him to his very core, but all those Pokémon had been hurt in some way or another that caused their aggression. Everyone seemed to think that the Pokémon causing these problems were doing it just out of boredom or a display of power, but that was just never true.

Pokémon had souls, and consciences, just like people. And unlike people, they were _all_ good deep down. One wouldn’t do something this awful without justification.

Kukui shuffled forward, making sure he kept a steady pace so Ash wouldn’t tire out too quickly, but they would also reach the summit well before nightfall. They were already close, and the storm only grew worse the nearer to the center they got.

He brushed some snow off his safety glasses and frowned at the path ahead. His thoughts were overwhelmed with curiosity, and fear. He’d been thinking about this blizzard for a while now, but he just couldn’t wrap his mind around a Pokémon being able to cause it. Let alone an ordinary Pokémon like Froslass! A Kyurem maybe, or even an Articuno, but certainly not a Froslass.

Kukui supposed that’s just how powerful a broken heart could be. 

The snow under his feet suddenly gave way to ice, causing him to lose his balance and grasp onto Ash for purchase. Kukui mentally chastised himself for getting lost in his thoughts, not paying enough attention to the treacherous path ahead. And for latching onto the boy and risking dragging the both of them down the mountain. Regardless, he shot Ash a quick, grateful look for watching his back. He refocused himself, determined to keep the both of them safe.

Kukui steeled himself as the summit came into sight. They’d need to make it into the center of the storm to stop it, and that was gonna require all the energy they had. No telling what they were gonna encounter, either. And they’d need to wrap this up fast too. The air was too thin, too icy to take a proper breath. And if Kukui was struggling, he couldn’t imagine how Ash was fairing.

He suddenly caught himself wondering why he’d even agreed to let the boy tag along.

No time for second thoughts though as the path flattened out, signaling they’d reached the peak. Kukui pulled out his map and compass, barely able to see them through the snow. He just hoped they were going the right direction.

The snow was up to his thighs here, piling higher than Ash’s waist and creating a concrete-like barrier to trudge through. Thankfully he managed to plow a little path from his trudging for Ash to walk in. He turned around to study the kid, trying to gauge whether he could keep going.

Aside from the chattering teeth and layer of frost on his hat, the kid looked pretty good. It probably helped that Pikachu was snuggled up next to him and Kukui was acting as a windbreak. Still, he figured it would be better to ask and make sure – not that he wouldn’t put it past the kid to lie for his benefit.

“How you holdin’ up? Can ya keep goin’?” Shit, he could barely hear himself over the howl of the wind.

Ash nodded, giving Kukui a reassuring smile. “Never been better!”

Kukui rolled his eyes, spirits lifted somewhat from Ash’s enthusiasm. He didn’t know if he would’ve been able to make it all the way up without the cheerful kid behind him, pushing him on. That was one of his favorite of Ash’s qualities. Even though he hadn’t said much during the journey, Kukui could still feel his burning passion and steely determination the whole time. And even though he hadn’t wanted to bring the boy along on such a dangerous trip, he was grateful that he did.

But if something happened to Ash, he’d never forgive himself.

Pushing past the scenarios that threatened to bombard his mind, Kukui pushed the two of them forward. “Just a bit further!”

They’d made it another 100 feet before being forced to stop. An icy air current blew against Kukui, preventing him from moving any further. He tried to reach his hand forward, but it was stopped by an invisible force. It was like a shield of sleet… Behind him, Ash gave a shout.

“Professor! Watch out!”

Kukui, shoving Ash and Pikachu to the side, barely had time to duck as an ice beam flew over his head creating an icy formation in the snow behind them. He tried his best to see the source of the attack, but the snow was coming down too hard.

Suddenly, a dark shadow passed under his feet, settling right beneath Ash. The air began to crackle, and swirls of black energy grew from the ground. Ash gave Kukui a frightened look as he became engulfed in the shadow.

“Hold on!” Kukui grabbed for the boy but was stopped just inches short as the energy field sparked out at him.

Pikachu, who’d fallen out of Ash’s jacket moments earlier, cried out for its trainer. Its cheeks sparked defensively, but the Pokémon was reluctant to attack with Ash in the way.

He yelped in pain as the shadow began to lap at his feet, drawing his energy out. He couldn’t move, not even a twitch, but he fought against the deadweight that settled in his limbs. Casting a pained glance at Kukui, not bothering nor daring to look any further into the storm, he mustered the energy to cry out, “What-what’s happening?”

A shrill, inhuman screech answered.

Without warning, Kukui and Pikachu were blown back from an icy gust and promptly trapped down by frozen tendrils. Pikachu let loose a Thunderbolt to no avail, sparks exploding against mounds of ice and snow. Kukui struggled against his own restraint. No luck. Ash tried to shout for them, but a wave of pain took the breath right from his lungs.

Gradually over the next few moments, the blizzard seemed to move away from them, and a couple yards radius was made visible. No wind blew, no snow fell, and the roar of the storm was but a hum in the background. That same invisible force preventing their progress earlier now protected them from squall.

Directly in the center, a Pokémon stood before them.

Kukui gasped at the sight before him, nearly choking on icy air. He couldn’t believe his eyes, and for a moment he wondered if the cold had finally gotten the best of him and he was hallucinating. But no, this was definitely real. After all his talk about legends being exaggerations and mostly untrue, one stood right in front of him, threatening his and his kid’s safety.

Still in a shadowy trap, Ash’s labored breathing started to hasten in fear. His nightmares had been true, which meant he was about to be in a tight spot. He’d been desperately hoped that he’d been wrong, that the legend hadn’t been true…

“Froslass…”

Kukui wasn’t sure which of them had muttered the name, but it seemed to spark something in the ominous floating form. There was a shift in the energy, and Froslass belted out its cry as it enclosed on Ash’s shadowy prison.

Up close, Ash could tell something wasn’t quite right with this Pokémon. At first glance, it looked like any normal Froslass you’d find with a trainer. But upon further inspection, Ash could see that the ghostly form was tattered and frayed, looking far less alive than any Pokémon should. And its body was not a brilliant snowy white, but instead a dull, lifeless gray. It had sharp claws not natural to the species, and the signature colored belt was tied far too tight for anything other than a hollow body.

Where it should have had eyes, there was nothing but emptiness.

Ash couldn’t look away, but he wanted to. He was afraid, horrified of this creature. He’d never been truly afraid of a Pokémon before. But the way its ghastly presence loomed mere inches away made him want to cower behind the professor. He felt like a child hiding under the covers because of a monster in their closet.

He couldn’t dwell on the fear though as the shadow curled around his frame, absorbing his energy and casting a new sense of dread over him. His vision started to spot and cloud over, a wave of dizziness wracking his frame. He could feel himself freezing from the inside out.

Froslass wanted his heart. And she’d have to kill him to get it.

“Let him go!”

Ash started at the shout, turning ever so slightly to see Kukui struggling behind him. The professor reached for a pokeball but was stopped short as Froslass encased his hands in ice. This only caused him to upset more. “ _Ash!”_

Kukui was terrified. He needed to break free from the ice! If only he could reach Incineroar… But he could barely move against the restraints, so he was forced to watch that ghoul reach out towards Ash.

Kukui swore, far too loudly but certain Ash wouldn’t have heard. If the legend was true, then he didn’t have much time before the Pokémon completely sucked all the life out of the kid. He could tell Ash was already in rough shape and wouldn’t last much longer against Froslass’s ghostly powers. He’d done a pretty good job fighting against it so far, but his small form had started to sag against the pull.

Abruptly, Kukui realized he was going to watch Ash die. _‘And,’_ he thought, _‘I led him right up here.’_

He shook the thought away. There would be time to feel guilty later. Right now, he needed to do something, anything to help. Looking to his right, he saw Pikachu gnawing against its icy hold. An idea quickly took form.

“Pikachu, used Thunderbolt on me.” He ordered. Yeah, it’d probably hurt like a bitch, but he’d been shocked by the mouse before plenty of times. If it got him free, it was worth it.

Pikachu’s cheeks sparked up as it built power (showing no hesitation whatsoever, interestingly), but before it could discharge, Ash intervened.

“Wait!”

“ _Wait!?_ ”

Kukui watched as Ash, against the force of Froslass’s draining power, removed one of his gloves and reach out to the Pokémon. What on earth was he doing? There wasn’t any time to be messing around!

Teeth chattering and breath coming in just a little too quickly, Ash met the Froslass’s eyes. “I know why you’re doing this.”

That simple statement seemed to upset the ghost, and it ramped up the power. Ash cried out in pain, ending on a heartbreaking whimper. But he continued to reach out through the cries until his bare hand rested on Froslass’s hand.

When the pain started to wane, Ash took a couple of deep breaths to catch his own. “I _know_ why you’re doing this. You’re sad, right?”

Froslass seemed to hesitate, ever so slightly, ghastly form stiffening just a bit.

Kukui watched in confusion, having no idea what Ash was getting at. The only thing he could think about was the loud, labored breathing coming from the kid, and the blood starting to drip from his nose.

Ash wasn’t deterred by any of that. “Someone you loved hurt you, right? And that made you sad, and now you just want to be loved again. That’s why you want my heart, so you can feel love?”

“Fros…” The ghost hovered closer to the boy, holding onto his exposed hand with its own frigid one. He would probably have frostbite from the contact, but that was Ash didn’t mind.

The cold and the draining energy was starting to take its toll, his vision being clouded by stars and his head filling with cotton. But he never gave up in these situations and he wasn’t about to start now.

“What that person did to you was awful, and I’m sorry that it happened. You didn’t deserve that.”

“Lass…”

Ash took a breath but it cut off with a cough. He really needed like a week’s worth of sleep after this. “You just want to rest now, I bet. Well, if you need my heart to feel loved and be at peace, then you can have it.”

“ _Pika!_ ”

“ _Ash!_ ” Kukui’s heart skipped a beat, and it fill with icy dread. What was he thinking? He’d be killed if Froslass kept this up.

“It’s okay, Professor! I’ve got plenty of love to share and Froslass deserves to be happy!” Ash turned to Froslass and pulled its hand onto his chest, right over his heart. “Everyone should get a second chance, and I know Froslass didn’t mean to hurt anyone. Every person and Pokémon deserves to feel loved, no matter what they’ve done.

“Go on, you can have it.”

A bright light shone from Froslass’s core, so bright that it was blinding. Kukui and Pikachu struggled against their holds, desperate to stop Froslass.

Kukui was overwhelmed with panic, and he didn’t even realize the cries he could hear were coming from him.

The light filled the entire mountain, but in the blink of an eye, it faded away.

When the stars cleared from Kukui’s vision, he saw Ash and Froslass still standing where they had been before, but something had changed.

Froslass no longer had its eerie, ghastly form. It now looked like an ordinary Froslass. The color of its cloth was bright white, the band around its waist was no longer too tight, the shreds that had littered its body were patched, its claws no longer too sharp.

And its eyes shone bright with happiness.

But Kukui was more concerned with the boy standing in front of the Pokémon. Even though he looked okay, and he wore a wide smile, Kukui wouldn’t feel relieved until he could thoroughly inspect him.

In the next moment, the storm raging across Alola halted, precipitation not falling from the clouds any more. The restraints on Kukui and Pikachu withered away too and they shot to their feet, racing towards Ash.

Kukui stumbled the last few steps catching himself just before crashing into the kid. “Ash! What happened? Are you alright? Let me take a look-“

Ash’s knees gave out and he threw his hands out for purchase, latching onto the older man, but he was laughing nonetheless. “I’m not hurt, Professor. Just a little tired, is all.”

Kukui pulled him into a hug, effectively supporting his entire weight. He felt the tension and fear bleed from his body, and he sagged against the kid. “Don’t scare me like that.”

“’M sorry.”

Kukui shook his head, swallowing the lump in his throat. For the first time in days, it seemed like everything was going to be okay and they were going to make it home safe.

The last thing Kukui wanted was to pull away from Ash, and even if he could tell Ash really didn’t want to leave the warmth and comfort of the embrace, they still needed to finish this job.

First, he wanted to know what the hell just happened.

“How did you know what Froslass wanted?” He questioned, surprised Ash had been so well handled in the situation.

Ash cocked his head to one side, trying to think of how to explain his thought process. “Well, I kept thinking about the story you told us in class. And I thought if that had happened to me, I’d be lonely and sad too. And when someone’s lonely and sad, you need to show them that they’re loved.”

Kukui looked at the boy softly, mesmerized by his childish yet perfect reasoning. It made sense, the way Ash explained it. But still, Kukui was impressed that he’d come up with a solution so quickly. “I get it. So when you offered your heart to Froslass, you were showing it that you would love and care for it.”

“Yeah!”

Kukui smiled at the kid’s enthusiasm. He was so proud of his boy and everything he’d been able to do. Still, something was lingering at the back of his mind. “How did you know it wouldn’t just take you heart instead?”

Ash’s smile faltered slightly, and he gave a nervous laugh while rubbing the back of his neck. When the seconds stretched by and Kukui realized he wasn’t getting an answer, his smile slowly faded away.

“You did know you’d be okay, right?”

Ash very pointedly did not meet the professor’s eyes, choosing instead to stare at his feet.

“Oh, Ash.” Kukui pulled the boy back into an embrace, holding on even tighter than before. Why was this boy so damn determined to sacrifice himself for everyone else. Why couldn’t he realize that his life had value too, and he deserved to live just as much as anyone else.

The Froslass hovered a few feet away, staring at the two locked in an embrace. Kukui noticed it’s hovering and waved it over. Afterall, if Ash had taught him anything, it was that every person and every Pokémon deserved to feel loved.

Froslass trilled happily and joined them in the embrace. Pikachu also nuzzled in close, getting right in the center of the action.

Kukui felt the weight lift from his shoulders. For just a few minutes, everything was perfect.

They all separated far too soon, Froslass drifting back from the crowd. It eyed the group hesitantly, then looked over the frozen landscape longingly. For so long it was encased in ice, its spirit restless and bound to this mountain. It was never able to interact with the other Pokémon or wander as it pleased. But now it was free…

Kukui understood. “Froslass, you’ve been trapped up here so long. I bet you want to go see the world, right?”

“Froslass.”

“Then you should do it! I bet all the Pokémon on Mt. Lanakila would want to be your friend! I bet playing in all this snow would be so much fun!” Ash encouraged.

“Pika!”

Froslass spared them one last thoughtful look, then disappeared into the snow, its excited cry fading into the wind.

Ash and Pikachu waved enthusiastically, cheering it on. “Bye, Froslass! Come visit us on Melemele sometime!”

Kukui laughed wholeheartedly, imagining that poor ice Pokémon in the sweltering Melemele heat. He supposed he and Ash could come back and visit Froslass here instead.

Speaking of the Melemele heat…

“Well, looks like the storm stopped…” Kukui announced, amazed by how suddenly the weather had turned. That didn’t exactly solve their problem, however.

“What now, Professor?” Ash asked, satisfied that he’d seen Froslass off.

Kukui scratched the back of his neck. Even though the storm had stopped, the entire region was still covered in snow. It would take weeks for it all to thaw, and that would put a strain on crops and all their food. Not only that, but it made it near impossible to travel, which meant people who needed help couldn’t get it and everyone was stuck in place.

“If we can get Tapu Bulu’s treasure, I think we can call Necrozma and ask it to thaw the land. So we’ll do that first-“

“Don’t sweat it.”

Kukui jumped out of his skin at the voice. He spun on a dime, turning to see none other than Mr. Furret Dipped in Grease standing right before them (Ash and Lily coined the name and couldn’t be persuaded otherwise).

Ash immediately tensed, holding himself as rigid as stone. “You! You’re the one who awakened Froslass!”

Kukui took a step forward, trying to place himself between the poacher and Ash. “What could you possibly want all the way up here?”

“Heh,” Mr. Grease (Please, call me Furret, Mr. Grease was my father) reached into his pocket, and pulled out something that he immediately tossed at Kukui. “Here.”

Kukui snatched what he’d thrown from the air and stared dumbfounded. It was Tapu Bulu’s trinket, no doubt. There was nothing else it could be. “How…?”

The poacher slicked back his hair and laughed. “Wasn’t hard at all! Those Pokémon wanted nothing to do with me! I walked right past that guardian Pokémon and took it with no problems whatsoever. Now…” His smile turned sinister and he reached for his belt, drawing out a pokeball quicker than either Kukui or Ash could react. “Drapion! Let’s go!”

In the blink of an eye the poacher’s Drapion emerged from its ball, roar cutting across the landscape. Ash and Pikachu managed to dodge out of the way, but Kukui was too slow. Drapion grabbed him with its strong claws and held tight, accomplishing its task perfectly.

Ash jumped up, reaching for one of his partners. “Let him go!”

“Ah ah ah!” The poacher taunted, wagging his finger at the boy. “I wouldn’t be too rash, if I were you. We wouldn’t want something to happen to the Professor here, now would we?”

Ash fumed where he stood, his whole body tense and shaking with rage. But he did as told and put the pokeball back on his belt.

The poacher laughed again. “Good boy. Now, I’ve just got one little thing to take care of then we’ll all go our separate ways. Sound good?”

Ash glared daggers at the man. “What do you want?”

“Yer gonna summon Necrozma for me and make me immortal.”

…

“You’re insane! He can’t go out there!” Kukui struggled against Drapion’s hold, fighting with all his strength. He was going to be so sore if he made it out of this alive. Why the hell was everyone using restraints today?

The poacher wasn’t even looking at Kukui. Instead he watched as Ash slowly shuffled across the slick of ice, all four trinkets in hand. “Listen, you Alolan people have so many crack legends that one of ‘em is bound to be real. I ain’t asking for much. All that kid has to do is take those cutesy little toys to the center of this here summit. No big deal.”

Kukui struggled harder, also watching as Ash crept further and further away. The poacher had lead them to a lake at the top of the mountain, which was supposedly the center of the summit. Apparently, he’d been following them and asking locals about the legend of Froslass, and he came to the conclusion that he could be granted eternal life if Ash offered the guardian trinkets to Necrozma and asked for it.

And the only reason Ash had agreed was because Kukui had been taken captive. Kukui had begged Ash to leave, run and get help. But he’d refused, saying Kukui wouldn’t have left him if they’re positions had been reversed.

And now Kukui and Pikachu watched on helplessly. Ash had ordered Pikachu to stay with Kukui, asking it to keep an eye on the poacher. Pikachu had obviously seen right through Ash, but it still obeyed.

Kukui was getting more anxious by the second. He was fairly certain this wasn’t going to work. The dumbass had mixed together how many different legends and who even knew if any of them were true in the first place. What was this nutjob going to do to them when this didn’t work? Kukui didn’t know, but it probably wouldn’t be good.

The poacher scoffed, crossing his arms to his chest. “You’re so tense, man. Relax a little, would ya? That ice has gotta be a couple feet thick. It ain’t breakin’.”

Kukui’s blood boiled at the cavalier tone. “Then you go out there, you son-of-a-bitch!”

“Now you know that’s not how this works. It’s gotta be someone with a _pure heart_. Shit makes me wanna gag.”

“He’s just a _kid_! It’s too dangerous for him and he’s already hurt! Let me go out instead! _Please!_ ” Kukui begged, trying anything to reason with the man.

“Can it! I can’t think with all your yellin-”

A deafening _crack_ filled the air, and before Kukui could even take a breath, a Gyrados shot up from the depths of the lake, shattering the sheet of ice covering the surface. Its eyes were red with rage, its peace disturbed by the intruders. It shot a Hyper Beam attack into the air, the sound of it piercing through the snow. A thundering roar escaped it before it let loose another attack, this time directed at the group gathered near the shore. Luckily, the beam hit just in front of them, sending up a spray of snow.

Kukui used the confusion to break free from Drapion’s hold. He headed towards the lake, freeing Pikachu from the snow as he went. The two knelt by the water’s edge, searching for any sign of Ash. He’d been at the center of the lake when Gyrados awakened, and was thrown into the icy water during the attack.

“Ash! _Ash!”_ Kukui cried, cupping his hands around his mouth. He didn’t see him anywhere, and Gyrados was still stirring up the water in its rampage.

Pikachu joined in the search, crying out for its trainer, “Pika!” 

Through a cluster of ice patches, Ash’s head broke through the surface and he latched on to the nearest sheet. He could barely keep his grip, nearly slipping back into the water.

Kukui waved to get his attention. “Hold on! I’m going to come get you!” He called out, trying to reassure the boy. “Just hold on!” He needed to get to him fast though, it was clear that the icy water was starting to affect him. In these conditions, a person only had minutes before their body temperature dropped too low. And they’d had a head start from climbing the mountain in a blizzard.

Ash clearly wasn’t doing well as he started to slip off the ice again, barely keeping himself above the surface in his struggle. “Professor! I can’t hold on-“

“ _Pika pi_!” Was all the warning they got before another attack from Gyrados cut across the water, sending a wave of water and ice in all directions. Water lapped at the rim of the lake and shards of ice crashed against the shore, glittering like sparkling diamonds.

Kukui watched in horror as Ash was swallowed by the torrent. “ _Ash!”_ He cried out, panic rising in his chest. The deep snow was making it a bitch to get to the water, but Kukui trudged forward, ignoring his waning energy or the chill in his bones.

Just as he closed in on the water, a Hyper Beam from Gyrados hit the bank, sending Pikachu and Kukui flying back. The two of them landed with a thud, dazed momentarily. Kukui groaned in pain from the impact, fairly certain he’d broken at least _something_. And Pikachu was half buried in a snow drift, wiggling and struggling to free itself. Their progress had all but been erased in one fell swoop.

He needed to do something and he needed to do it fast, but his Pokémon were at a severe disadvantage up here. But if he didn’t at least try, then no one was making it off this mountain alive. He reached for Incineroar’s pokeball, but stopped short when a familiar cry erupted behind him. He turned to see the poacher and his Pokémon, who’d retreated in fear beforehand, being engulfed in a dark, ominous shadow.

The poacher let out a terrified yelp, grasping onto his Drapion to no avail. The shadow doubled in size and completely enveloped them, swallowing them whole in an instant. They disappearing altogether a moment later, leaving Froslass in the space where they once stood.

Without any hesitation, Froslass powered up another attack and charged at Gyrados.

“Froslass!” Kukui cheered. He couldn’t believe it! It actually came back to help them…

“Fros!” Froslass fired a barrage of shadow ball attacks at Gyrados, which hit their mark dead on. Gyrados was too enraged to dodge any of the attacks, instead going for a full offensive assault.

But Froslass had the advantage. Several hundred years of pent up rage can give you quite the power boost. It fought back with a ferocity Kukui had never seen before. It was relentless with its assault, not stopping once.

Kukui wished the two wouldn’t have to fight. It wasn’t Gyrados’s fault that its home had been disturbed. And it wasn’t Froslass’s battle to fight. But Kukui had no choice to accept that Gyrados wouldn’t calm down unless it was defeated and the only Pokémon strong enough right now was Froslass. His Pokémon and Pikachu were too tired, too worn down from the entire adventure to stand a chance.

Before long, Gyrados reached its limit. It gave one final roar of defeat before sinking back into the depths of the lake to hide and heal.

Kukui didn’t take a single moment to be relieved, instead rushing right back to the water. He wasn’t sure what all he would be able to do, but he was tired of feeling useless. He started to unzip his coat, fully intending on diving in to find the boy, but Froslass beat him to the punch.

The Pokémon used its shadow to pull Ash from the water, carefully laying him down on the snow at Kukui’s feet. Having used all of its energy, Froslass collapsed in a heap.

_‘Shit!’_ Kukui’s mind oh so helpfully supplied as he dropped to his knees, ripping his gloves off to reach for Ash. He brushed the hair out of his face, feeling the icy chill of his skin. “Oh god…” He involuntarily muttered, taking in the blue hue of his lips and pale pallor of his face.

“Prof-“ Ash sucked in a shallow breath, struggling with the weight in his chest- “Professor…”

Kukui pulled him into his lap, absentmindedly rubbing at his arms. “Shhh, it’s okay. It’s going to be okay, Ash.”

His mind was going a mile a second, trying to decide what to do. “We need to get off the mountain. We gotta get to the Pokémon Center. I gotta get you out of here- gotta get you warmed up. As fast as possible – Braviary could take us-“ Kukui realized he was thinking out loud, and that he was panicking, truth be told. He needed to collect himself but his mind was clouded with fear.

“Kukui-“ Ash tried to get Kukui’s attention, but he was either just too quiet or Kukui was too caught up in his thoughts, since the man continued talking right over him.

“Damn it... It won’t be able to hold both of us and fly at the same time and if it can’t fly then there’s no sense riding it and you can’t ride it alone- Maybe if we had a second Pokémon to ride on? There are flying types around here, right? There has to be–“

“I’m… I’m sorr-“

“-Rotom can find out. Did we bring Rotom? It must be in your bag- what was that, Ash?”

Processing the small sound a moment too late, Kukui snapped himself out of his thoughts and turned his attention to the boy in front of him.

“Ash?”

He didn’t get any response, and when had the kid closed his eyes? He should know better than to try to sleep in this weather.

“Ash, wake up. You can’t sleep now. We have to go.”

He must be so tired, if he’s sleeping though all this. It _had_ been a long few days, he supposed. But still, now wasn’t the time for it. Certainly not the place, either. They needed to get moving before…

Before what? He had been trying to do something, but it completely slipped his mind. It was important, too. He knew that, at least. He tried to remember, but it was so hard to think straight with Pikachu’s crying right next to him.

Wait, Pikachu was crying?

What for?

Kukui stopped.

Stopped moving.

Stopped talking.

Stopped _thinking._

He froze.

Between one second and the next, Kukui’s mind tore out of its shock induced state and processed the situation unfolding in front of him. The trek up the mountain, the clash with Froslass, the battle with the Poacher and Gyrados – everything came together in one flash of a memory.

And Kukui realized what was happening.

He cupped Ash’s face in one hand, wiping away some of the frost on cheek. “Ash, can you hear me? You have to wake up, please. Please, Ash,” He begged, trying to keep his voice steady (it wasn’t working), shaking the boy gently, “You’re going to be fine, just please look at me. I’ll get us out of here, I promise. C’mon, kiddo, open your eyes.”

Kukui waited, not particularly long, but long enough. Long enough to see the blue color of his skin, the ice freezing in his hair and clothes, the dark circles under his eyes, the way he just seemed so unbearably small…

How he wasn’t moving, not even a bit.

“Ash?”

Kukui knew he needed to check if… he knew he needed to see if…

He couldn’t bring himself to confirm what he already knew was true, so instead he just gathered the boy in his arms, hugging him close as a sob wracked his frame.

Kukui could physically feel his heart wrenching, a heavy weight settling in the pit of his stomach. His limbs were numb, but not from the cold. He felt sick. His body threatened to expel anything he had in his stomach, but he didn’t have the energy to move away from the body pulled into his chest. Guilt laced through every fiber of his being, lacing through his nerves and constricting in his chest. It _hurt._ The pain was palpable. And it wasn’t hot and piercing, like being wounded in a fight. No this was a damp pain, cold and heavy and impossible to thaw away.

He’d never feel warm again.

How could he have let this happen? How did he let it come to this? He’d been so useless, and if he hadn’t been there at all in the first place… well he wasn’t sure what would have happened but it probably wouldn’t have been this.

He’d promised Ash he’d keep him safe, protect him: _‘I won’t let anything happen to you,’_ he swore. _Liar._

Ash was _gone._

A feral cry tore from his lungs, breaking the silence, cutting through the air like a knife.

Kukui’s breath caught in his throat as the realization hit him. “Ash… I’m _sorry,_ it’s all my fault. I’m so sorry. Oh _god…_ ” he choked out, tears streaking down his face. With the wind having died down and the storm having stopped, his words seemed to echo across the whole mountain in a mocking sing-song.

Beside him, Pikachu howled in a way the Professor didn’t know Pokémon could.

Kukui wasn’t a religious man. Not by any means. Of course, he knew Arceus existed, but that didn’t mean Kukui believed Arceus was God. And sure there were guardian Pokémon that people prayed to, but again, he had never really bought into that.

But now, Kukui prayed. He prayed and plead; beseeched, bargained, and begged to any God or Guardian that would listen to him.

There was nothing left for him to do, nothing except to pray in the stillness of the storm.

A bright light tore through the sky, splitting the horizon in a blinding beam of white. Kukui shielded his eyes as he leaned over Ash instinctively to protect him.

The light lingered, and it took a few moments for it to settle to a level where Kukui could open his eyes. When he could see once again, the sight that greeted him was breathtaking.

Necrozma had come.

Kukui stared at the Pokémon, absolutely speechless. How had he been able to summon it? He didn’t have the trinkets anymore, and Kukui was hardly someone who had a pure heart.

The Pokémon loomed over him, its figure glowing brightly. It couldn’t speak, but it still conveyed its feelings to Kukui.

No matter how Necrozma had been summoned, Kukui was still granted one wish.

His voice cracked, a glimmer of hope shining breaking through his desperation. “ _Please_ , I don’t want anything at all except Ash back. I can’t- I can’t go home without him…

“He’s my _son!_ _Please!_ ” He’d lost all control over his emotions, and his frantic pleas were punctuated with a sharp sob. He hadn’t cried like this since he was a child, the tears starting to freeze on his cheeks. “Please.”

Necrozma gazed at the man for just a moment, then spread its wings wide. They reached across the entire horizon, so far that Kukui couldn’t see their ends.

Another flash of blinding light filled the sky. As Kukui sat there shielding his eyes, he started to notice things shift around him.

The air, though still cold, had lost its frigid edge and begun to warm. Kukui’s clothes began to dry, and he felt Ash’s do the same. All of the pain that had accumulated from wounds and knots in his body began to ease, and he started to feel lighter.

Of course, none of that compared to the weight that lifted as felt Ash shift in his arms and reach up to cover his eyes. He grumbled quietly, then a bit louder, “Could you close the blinds, please?”

Kukui laughed, loud and happier than he ever had before. The light once again settled to a manageable level and Ash cracked one of his eyes open. “What’s so funny!” He was quickly pulled into a tight embrace, Kukui holding onto him for dear life. “Professor?”

“You… you nearly gave me a heart attack!” Kukui accused, even though the smile he wore was bigger than he should’ve been able to manage.

Ash laughed with him, returning the embrace. Pikachu had long since snuggled up between them, and it didn’t intend on leaving that spot any time soon.

Ash jerked, suddenly remembering why they’d come up there in the first place. He dug around his pockets and pulled out the four small toys, standing and holding them out before Necrozma.

“Necrozma! We brought all the Trinkets, so will you melt all the snow and heal everyone?”

Ash stood patiently, hoping he could get the Pokémon’s help. It was the last thing they needed to do, and he intended on finishing what they’d started.

Necrozma considered him for just a moment, then gently lifted the toys from his hands and accepted them as an offering. It flew up high into the sky, and covered all of Alola in a warm glow. Not blinding this time, but warm and healing. After only a few moments, it disappeared as soon as it came, but Ash and Kukui knew it had done what they’d asked.

As Necrozma vanished, the sky cleared and the sun shone brightly.

Kukui stood, joining Ash. “Looks like our work here is done. Can we agree to never do this again?”

Ash nodded, but he was smiling. “I dunno, Professor. I thought it was fun.” He paused, looking around. “Where’d Froslass go?”

“ _Lass_!” The cry came from behind the pair, and they turned just in time to see Froslass drift off again. Necrozma had healed it as well, and it was once again free to live its life as a normal Pokémon.

“Thank you, Froslass!” Ash called, waving it off once more. He hadn’t expected to see it again so soon, but they sure were lucky it came back.

Ash picked up Pikachu, starting to march forward in the snow. “I can’t wait until we get home! I’m gonna eat so many Malasadas! How about you, Professor… Professor?” Ash stopped in his tracks, noticing the confused look on Kukui’s face. “What’s the matter?”

Kukui shook his head. “I just don’t understand why Necrozma appeared. I didn’t have the trinkets, so why did it come?”

Ash paused, thinking. Then you could practically see the lightbulb go off in his head. “Oh! It’s just like that story you told us!”

“Huh?”

“Yeah! Necrozma appears to two people who love each other! And since we’re like father and son, that love should count, right?”

Kukui stared at Ash, heart swelling.

“You’re absolutely right.”

_End._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to say, I love you all so much. I wouldn't have finished this without all of your support and kindness! I sincerely hope you all enjoyed this, and I'm actually super sad I'm finished! I'm hoping more inspiration strikes soon, because I've honestly been looking forward to this every week probably more than you all have haha. 
> 
> Also I just read the comments from last week tonight. I knew they were going to be super nice and motivate me to get this last chapter finished, so I had to save them. They're all so sweet and I'm going to answer them tomorrow morning.
> 
> Well kids, this is it! I hope you've enjoyed the show!


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